


What They Made Me

by MrsEclipse9856



Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Age Difference, Crew as Family, F/M, Families of Choice, Family, Fem!Kirk, Female James T. Kirk, Tarsus IV
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-17
Updated: 2014-09-17
Packaged: 2018-02-17 18:14:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 31
Words: 92,762
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2318723
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MrsEclipse9856/pseuds/MrsEclipse9856
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Her mother, Frank and Kodos had all tried to break her, it just made her stronger in the end.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I don't own Star Trek... I wish I did though, Chris Pine, Karl Urban and John Cho would be mine! LOL.
> 
> This is my first Star Trek story, I posted it on FFN but I decided to post it here too.

_2246_

_Jamison_

Her head hurt. Truthfully, everything hurt but Jamison Teresa Kirk was NOT about to go there. Kodos the Executioner was pure evil and in an effort to assert his power over her, he allowed some of him men free reign on her body. They were greatly disappointed when she didn't fight, didn't scream and ultimately didn't care. It wasn't the first time that she was touched by men that way, that honor goes to Frank, her mom's husband. She didn't know what made her sadder or angrier, that a grown man forced himself on a 10 year old or that her mother thought she was just causing trouble. Winona's reaction didn't really surprise her though, her mother has always blinded herself to her youngest child. Jamie figured it was penance for surviving the attack that her father got himself killed in.

If she was being honest with herself, and she usually is, Jamie was just annoyed, it wasn't her fault that her father was George Kirk, nor was it her fault that she was brilliant and pretty. Her mother knew that George choose her, Kodos knew he couldn't beat her, and Frank knew he couldn't control her and that was why they all were beneath her. No matter what they did, or didn't do, she wasn't easily broken and in a way she had them all to thank for her resilience. She knew that as long as her "kids" were safe, Kodos and his men could do what they wanted, she was sure that the message she sent out, the message that Percy died for, that Tommy got hurt for and that she was being tortured for had made it to the fleet. She knew that the codes Hoshi gave her, while old, would still work at gaining Starfleet's attention. All Jamie had to do was wait.

_Christopher_

He couldn't believe it when he heard the reports, Tarsus IV was supposed to be the next step in humanity's expansion into the stars, now it was just a giant mess. If the intel package that Starfleet intercepted was to be believed, the colony on Tarsus IV suffered a major crop failure and instead of sending out a comm. for help, Governor Kodos killed half the colonists. Four thousand people dead and with the shortage of food and horrific conditions mentioned, it was likely that more people would die before any ships could get there. The USS Aldrin was on it's way, as were some other ships but even at their top speed, it would still take two more days.

Two days of waiting, two days of people starving and dying. Chris couldn't imagine the horrors that were sure to await them and at this point he really didn't want to. As first officer, Lieutenant Commander Pike knew what needed to be done, but as a man Chris was lost. He even thought for a moment that maybe he should ask his dad for advice, Chief Charlie Pike was on the ship somewhere. Captain Kamnach made it clear that they weren't allowed to interact while on duty but at the moment Chris didn't really care, he needed to talk to the one person that wouldn't judge his thoughts or feelings. "Computer, locate Transporter Chief Pike."

_Charles_

"What can I do for ya, sir?" was out of his mouth almost as soon as Chris stepped into the room. Charlie had to admit that it was an odd feeling at times to be outranked by your son, but damn if he wasn't as proud as can be. His boy was the first officer on a starship, and sure to be a commander one day at the rate he was going. Charlie had turned his attention to the young man he loved and respected.

"We're both off duty, pop. You don't HAVE to call me sir… but I think you know that." Chris replied with a small smile. "You got a few minutes for your son, old man?"

"I always have a few minutes for you, Chris. This Tarsus business is getting to you, isn't it?" All the younger man could do was nod, his dad had figured him out without Chris having to say much of anything.

"I don't like it. We put this colony out here and nobody noticed that the communiqués stopped months ago, that the people just disappeared. I got to see some of the information that was intercepted, Kodos slaughtered those people and Starfleet put him in charge. It's just bad, all the way around." Charlie saw a look cross Chris' features that he has never seen before. It was a mix of despair and disgust. "No matter what the next few days hold, there are going to be a lot of people hurt by Kodos' actions and I can't help but think of them, especially the children."

Charlie understood where his son's thoughts were taking him. For all the good that Starfleet does there are just some things that they can't change. The damage done by a megalomaniac like Thaddeus Kodos was one of those things.

"You want to know what I think, son?" Charlie asked. He didn't wait for a reply as he continued, it was rhetorical, "The people on that colony are going to need us to be strong for them. They are going to need our strength until they can find their own again. Nothing we can imagine will even come close to what they went through and all we can do is be there for them. Especially the children." Chris smiled at his dad, this was exactly why he talked to him, he just got it. Father and son talked for a few more minutes before Charlie excused himself to go on duty. "Wouldn't want to get in trouble with the boss," he joked as he went to make his exit. He got to the door and turned to Chris, "I love you, son."

Chris smiled, "I love you too, dad. Have a good shift." The elder Pike smiled as he made his way through the ship. His boy was going to make a great captain one day.

_47 Hours Later_

_Chris_

Chris couldn't believe his eyes, this place was like the worst parts of hell. Making his way through the governmental building, he was sick. There was a mass grave outside, no doubt an effort to deter anyone from attempting to fight Kodos' reign. What had bothered him most were the small bodies, the ones that were sure to be children. He wasn't going to think about it, couldn't think about it, he had a job to do. Entering what was sure to be the governor's office, Chris ordered Lieutenant Parker to retrieve all the information he could from Kodos' terminal. The man himself was dead, thank whatever deity you like, but Starfleet would want the gritty details and Kodos was just the kind of guy to keep track of everything he did.

"Sir, I think this is a door." Ensign Jones was one of the redshirts on this away team, she was small but tough and Chris could see the makings of a good officer in her. She found what appeared to be another way out of the room. Chris ordered the other redshirt, Ensign Yu, to stay with Parker while he took Jones and Nurse O'Neil, their medical officer, through the door and into what appeared to be a jail of some sort.

_Jamie_

She heard the door to Kodos' office open, but wasn't sure if it was a good thing or a bad thing. She had heard the raised voices a few hours ago and at this point she didn't know who would be coming this way. Jamie closed her eyes and took a deep breath. If it was Kodos or his men, she would be in for another round of whatever torture they could come up with. If it wasn't Kodos, she didn't know what she was in for.

Opening her eyes, Jamie almost cried. The people she heard were Starfleet officers. One was a science officer, medical if she had to guess; the next was a redshirt, security probably; and then there was someone from command, she couldn't guess what his function was, just that he was a Lieutenant Commander judging by the stripes on his sleeves. He was looking in the room across from Jamie when she made an involuntary noise. He turned, taking in as much of the room as he could through the door until his eyes locked with hers. Safe. She could almost taste the safety rolling off of this man. She felt like everything would be alright for the first time in her thirteen years of life. Winona, Frank, Kodos and his men could kiss her ass, Jamie knew in her heart, all the way down to her bones, that she would finally be okay. The man pushed open the door and let out a quiet swear as he assessed more of her body. Jamie was nude with various injuries and fluids all over her body.

Somehow, she managed a lopsided smile, "What took you so long, commander?"

_Chris_

He honestly didn't know what to say to the girl but he knew that there was something about her that drew him in, he just had to figure out what. That would have to wait since he still had to get her out of here.

"Sorry about that kid. We got here as fast as we could," he said to her quietly. Taking in her nudity, Chris opted to take off his gold shirt before freeing her from the chain that attached her to the wall. Chris pulled the command gold over her head once she was free, earning a small 'thanks' from the girl. "I'm Lieutenant Commander Christopher Pike from the USS Aldrin. I'm gonna get you out of here." He said by way of introduction while helping her out of the room. Whatever happened to her, he was glad the Kodos was dead because he really wanted to kill him, and he told the girl as much.

"Won't hear me complain, he was an asshole who thought he knew best. We warned him about the crops months ago, me and Tommy, but Kodos didn't listen. Dumbass. I'm Jamie, by the way." As they made their way into the hallway, they were met by Jones who reported finding more bodies, O'Neil had better luck, if you could call it that. She had found a boy who was about the same size as Jamie. "Tommy, what did he do to you?" Jamie asked quietly as she made her way over to the boy and wrapped her arms around him.

"Nothing near as bad as he did to you, Jamie. My eye is done but I'll be fine. It's the others I'm worried about."

"What others?" Chris asked the teens.

Jamie took a breath before she answered, "When Kodos started killing people a few of us were with Hoshi Sato. You know Communications officer on the NX-01 Enterprise, Hoshi Sato. Anyway, she gave us her emergency kit, all the food in her house and her Starfleet codes then she told us to get away from the main colony. She told me to survive… no matter what. Kodos' men killed her after we left. I can't believe I just watched from behind that stupid bush." Tommy squeezed her hand to bring her back to the more pressing topic. "Me, Tommy, Percy, Cody and Ella made our way to the caves outside the colony. We are the only ones who ever go out there, so we knew that even if they went looking for us they wouldn't know where to look. Letting everyone die didn't sit well with me, so me and Percy went to the courtyard while Kodos was telling everyone that he was about to kill them. We grabbed as many kids as we could, and ran for it in the confusion. They're in the caves." Chris made a move for his communicator when Jamie stopped him, "You'll never get close, if the traps don't kill you, Cody will. Your only chance at saving my kids lies with me. And they are running out of time."

Chris looked her in the eyes for the second time today but this time it clicked. The color of her irises, the defiance, the authority and the knowledge they held all reminded him of a man long dead, a hero with a daughter who would be about the same age as Jamie. As realization dawned on him, the look in her eyes stopped him from saying anything about the girl's parentage. There were other children that needed to be saved. A conversation about George Kirk's daughter being this far from earth would have to wait.


	2. Chapter 2

_Charlie_

Charlie was not a squeamish man by any means, but the state of the children that Chris brought back to the ship made him reconsider that stance. They were all underweight, malnourished and, with the exception of the older three, they were quiet. He wasn't surprised by that fact, just saddened by it. No child should ever have to go through something like this but Charlie did have hope that they would be okay.

The older children, two boys and a girl, seemed to know what to say to the younger children to bring them peace. They all needed medical attention but the older children were still more concerned about the younger ones then they were about themselves. Charlie was in sickbay when the girl, whose name he didn't know, told the staff to worry about the other children first.'I've had worse,' she simply said as her explanation. Charlie was sure he didn't want to know what that worse was, or who would allow something like that to happen to the girl. Charlie could see that she was a pretty little thing under the grime, and perhaps with a few more pounds on her frame.

From what he had heard, she was also smarter than most of the crew and was the leader of this group of children that managed to outlast a lot of the adults. Maybe where she came from being smart was a problem. Most adults didn't like being outsmarted, especially by a child. It was truly a shame if you asked him, people could learn from something from this girl. Even after the things that were rumored to have happened to her on Tarsus, she still managed to smile through the pain and put the well-being others before herself. As Charlie watched the girl soothe a little boy she referred to as Kevin, he had hope for the first time since this whole thing began.

_Chris_

Fourteen. There were fourteen kids total, the two he found and the twelve in the cave. Cody, Jamie's cousin, was the oldest at fifteen years old and Kevin was the youngest at only six years old. It gave Chris pause, hell, it made them all stop and think. What is our species coming to when a six year old is forced to watch everyone he's ever known get executed? It was all a bit too much. The only thing worse was the information Lieutenant Parker found on the governor's terminal.

Kodos' list for execution was based on eugenics, those that he spared where considered to be the best of the colony. The tests that his men ran on some of the other, less desirable colonists reminded Chris of the holocaust, as barbaric as they were brutal, the tests were ultimately pointless. Parker also found a file on Hoshi Sato, it saddened everyone in the know that one of people who fought for the founding of the Federation died this way. He did not want to be there when Archer, Reed, Mayweather, Phlox and T'Pol were told, he even felt sorry for the poor bastards who got that task.

Parker had also come across a file on Jamie. _Jamie Turner_ was the name on the file but Chris knew in his heart that she was a Kirk. It only added to his questions when he began to read it.

_Name: Jamie Turner (also known as Jamison Teresa Kirk, Jamie Kirk, J.T. Kirk)._

So Kodos knew who she really was, had he always known, is that why he kept her alive but as a prisoner. Chris kept reading, the normal information followed, her birth date and location, gender, species and relatives. That's where things began to get interesting.

_Mother: Winona Brown nee Davis (formerly Kirk)- Currently assigned USS Hernandez, Engineer._

Well that answers one question, sort of. Why would Winona take a deep space assignment? Chris knew for a fact that she was offered some of the best planet-side posts in the whole Federation, it was the chance to advance her career while still having her children nearby and she turned them all down. Chris couldn't understand why, so he kept reading.

 _Known Relatives:_  
George Samuel Kirk Jr. (Brother, deceased-2243)  
Marie Turner nee Davis (aunt)  
Jeffery Turner (Uncle)  
Cody Turner (Cousin) 

How is that no one knew that George Kirk's son is dead? How did he die? Why didn't anyone know? Chris was lost, hadn't this girl been through enough? She was born on the same day her father died, according to Doctor Boyce, not all of her injuries were recent, there were years old ones that healed incorrectly and given her partial hysterectomy, it was safe to assume that the sexual abuse wasn't new. If her mother was in deep space, _who_ did she leave the children with?

Jamie's information on Tarsus starts in 2243, probably around the time her brother died. Chris didn't think it was a coincidence. It also appeared that her aunt and uncle tried to hide her identity, using Turner instead of Kirk, Chris would bet credits that they probably told people that she was Jeffery's niece instead of Marie's. Was it to hide her from outsiders looking in, or was it from someone specific? Chris knew that the only person who might be able to answer any of this was the girl herself. Chris kept reading.

 _Education:_  
 _Bachelor's degree in Engineering from Iowa State University-2240_  
 _Fluent in Standard, Andorian, Vulcan, Romulan, Reman, Denobulan, French, Russian, English, Xindi and Klingon._  
IQ-172  


"Well, fuck me!" Chris said to himself.

I.S.U. is a damn good school with one of the best engineering programs on the planet, that was the reason the shipyard in Riverside gets it's interns from there. Chris almost couldn't believe that this kid got her degree when she was seven but her IQ was higher than Einstein's. The languages shouldn't have surprised him, Jamie had mentioned being with Hoshi Sato. Since she didn't have to go to school, maybe she asked Commander Sato to teach her some languages. Sato is one of the only people to have ever heard Xindi, Chris knew Jamie couldn't have learned it from anyone else. He closed out the file, he didn't need to know anything else. Truth be told, he didn't want to know anything else. Chris needed to talk to her, he hoped that she was still awake.

_Jamie_

Jamie couldn't sleep. A more accurate assessment is that she wouldn't sleep. When you live with an alcoholic who had grabby hands, it was just safer to sleep with one eye open. Dr. Boyce had offered her a sedative but when she explained that she needed to be able to wake up from her nightmares he gave her a small smile, nodded his head and left her to her thoughts.

Jamie thought about Sam, what would he think of all this? Would she even be here if it wasn't for what happened? It's a thought that takes her by surprise, what if she wasn't here? She's the one that sent out the intel to Starfleet, she saved a bunch of the kids. Would they all be dead by now? Probably. In a way she was glad that Sam was dead, she didn't want him to go through something like this, she had no doubt that he would say the same thing.

Her inner musings were cut short when Lieutenant Commander Pike entered the room, or Chris, as he instructed her to call him. The look on his face told her that it wasn't a social call, Jamie figured he would come to her with questions eventually. She never thought it would take three days but she had to give him credit for not jumping down her throat like his captain did, Jamie didn't like Captain Kamnach at all. After everything they went through, he had the nerve to interrogate them like this was somehow their fault. At least he had the grace to look apologetic after Jamie pointed that fact out to him.

"Are you up early, or up late, Comma… Chris?" Jamie asked as Chris stood at the foot of her bio-bed.

"Late, couldn't sleep so I ended up doing some not so light reading," he told her. She could tell the statement was loaded. When they left Kodos' hell, there was an officer working at his terminal. Jamie could only assume that Starfleet had found the file Kodos had on her. He had one on all the special kids; Jamie, Tommy, Percy and some others. Jamie thought that he would attempt to create a super colony with their DNA or something equally crazy.

"Ah, found that file on me, huh? I always knew Kodos was hiding something when he talked to me, as if he was expecting something else. The same something that everyone expects from me, I suppose." She took a breath before she continued, "From the look on your face, you have questions. I can't answer them here, not with the children around. If you can spring me, we can talk."

Jamie could see the wheels turning as Chris considered her for a moment, she was going to answer his questions, some of them at least. Jamie knew that the captain had been trying to get information from the children and failed, his approach was to blame and she had told him as much. This was most likely the only real chance any of them was going to get at finding out everything that happened and if Chris was as smart as he seemed, getting her out of sickbay for a little while was well worth the chance for getting some answers. Chris seemed to have made up his mind, nodding his assent, he gave Jamie the sweatshirt he was wearing to cover the thin gown she was wearing and notified a nurse that he was taking the teen for a walk around the ship. Determined to make her way around on her own power, Jamie refused his aid and stood on her feet.

"Where to, Chris?"

_Chris_

He wasn't entirely sure how they ended up in engineering, but the look on Jamie's face was well worth it. Remembering the information he read on her, engineering was her thing. Finding a place for them to sit down that was out of the way of the officers at work, Chris just watched as Jamie's eyes took in everything. The assessment she did of the large room was almost military in quality. Chris was sure that if he asked, she could tell him where all the exits are and the approximate number of people in the room.

"What would you like to know?" she asked him, "Or should I just start from the beginning?"

"Whatever you want to tell me, but the beginning is usually the best place to start." He replied as he simply watched her.

"Well everyone in the Fed knows how it starts. The heroic George Kirk dies saving the crew of the USS Kelvin from an unknown Romulan vessel, leaving behind a wife, a young son and a newborn daughter. After the fanfare died down I guess no one ever bothered to ask what happened to me and Sam. For a while we stayed with Grandpa James. He tried to get my mother to see reason, to stick around for her kids but she was so wrapped up in herself and in George's memory that we never saw much of her, her loss if you ask me. Grandpa James knew I was smart from the minute he saw me, only good thing I got from my mother. I learned to read before most kids learned to walk and I would read everything I could get my hands on, A Tale of Two Cities is my favorite." She paused for a second and smiled. "I had managed to test out of school when I was five and took distance education credits from Iowa State. Grandpa was proud, I was the second youngest graduate that the school ever had. Sam wasn't too far behind me, he started I.S.U. the semester before I graduated, I was seven, he was almost twelve. A few months later, my mother showed up with this guy, Frank Brown." The way Jamie said the man's name set off alarm bells in Chris' head. Boyce had told him that the girl had been through the ringer and from the look that was currently crossing her features, this man was part of the problem.

"Winona married him and the next thing we know he lives in our father's house, claiming our father's most prized possessions and treating me and Sam like dirt. We stayed away from him as much as we could. We still spent most of our time with grandpa, it was okay until he got sick. Something he picked up while in the fleet. After he died, we were stuck with Frank. We tried to get Winona to send us somewhere else, hell, anywhere else but she didn't listen. She told us that Frank was our step-dad and to do what he said." Jamie slowly shook her head.

"That woman, is an idiot. I won't go into details but Frank hit us, when I was nine, he stopped hitting me and started touching me. I was ten when he raped me. I'll admit that it hurt but I wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of hearing me scream. When Sam walked in the room and saw that Frank had me pinned to the table, my arms being held behind my back and my shorts around my ankles, he lost it. I tried to save him, to help him but I couldn't move. I don't know how I managed to comm for help. When the police showed up, Frank was still wailing on Sam but Sam wasn't moving. They arrested Frank, he's in a penal colony and they took me and Sam to the hospital. I managed to give them aunt Marie's contact information before I passed out, blood loss from the rape. Ended up losing half my uterus as a result. That didn't bother nearly as much as losing Sam, I never got a chance to see my brother again, he died while I was unconscious. When my aunt and uncle showed up, they were livid. After they saw me and heard what happened to Sam, they refused to leave me there. My mother made it easy, she signed her rights away." Chris saw the hurt in her eyes, he didn't know why but he wanted to shield this girl from everything in the universe. It's one thing to be hurt by someone you don't know but another thing for your mother to turn her back on you.

"Aunt Marie got the house settled, got some of my stuff and I was on the transport for Tarsus IV two days after getting released from the hospital. We only stayed long enough to lay Sam to rest. While in route to the colony, we decided that using my real name was a bad idea. When we got to Tarsus IV, I became Jamie Turner, Jeffery Turner's recently orphaned niece. They somehow managed to get the name on all my transcripts changed so I didn't have to repeat any school. I stayed with my aunt for the first few week, nothing against uncle Jeff or Cody, but I didn't feel safe alone with a guy who was bigger than me. I told Cody as much one day and a week later he's introducing me to Percy and Ella. Cody and Percy were best friends, Ella was Percy's little sister. They reminded me of myself and Sam sometimes… but in a good way. Their dad was a security officer in Starfleet for fifteen years and he trained his kids to defend themselves. They trained me, nothing fancy just some Krav Maga and a little kickboxing. It was therapeutic, getting to let the anger and self-loathing out. Anyway, I met Tommy through Ella, he lived next door to them. Like me, Tommy was out of school too. I asked him what he did all day, turned out he helped the agricultural personnel. I like science, so a few times a week I would go with him. I was walking home from the lab when I heard someone speak in a language I didn't know. Imagine my surprise at seeing this little old lady trying to plant this bush that was bigger than me." Chris could see the smile in Jamie's eyes at her first memories of Hoshi.

"I moved to help her and asked if she could teach me whatever language she was speaking. She gave me a once over and told me that I would have to learn Vulcan first. After that she would teach me Klingon, the language I heard her use. After that, when I wasn't helping Tommy in agro, I was with Hoshi learning languages, diplomacy, how to read people, even basic risk assessment. Hell, if _The_ Hoshi Sato was willing to teach me, I was willing to learn. When I eventually told her who I really was, she didn't seem surprised like I thought she would be. I think she figured it out on her own and was waiting for me to feel comfortable enough to tell her. It was peaceful for a while, like I could breathe, but as they say 'All good things…' You know the rest, me and Tommy found the fungus in the crops and told Kodos. The lists he drew up. Hoshi warning us to get out of the colony. Saving the smaller kids. Percy dying on our way out of the governor's office after sending up the S.O.S. Kodos torturing me for info on the kids' location…" Jamie trailed off. Chris wanted to cry. He also wanted to kill a few people. Chris was having a crisis of self at the moment, what do you say to a life story that is too short to be full of such tragedy? Jamie must have noticed that his thoughts were taking a dark turn because she had reached over and her small hand grasped his.

"I'll be okay. I'll be better than okay. The way I see it, I must be pretty damn special if all these amazing people died protecting me. My father, Sam, Hoshi, and Percy were the best of us. Whatever I'm meant to do, I'll do it and it will be because of them."


	3. Chapter 3

_Chris_

He didn't know how long they sat there, but the weight against his arm told him that Jamie had drifted off to sleep. Chris looked down at her with a smile, for someone who doesn't feel safe around most people, she felt safe enough to fall asleep on him. She was tough, but he figured she had to be. He couldn't help but be impressed with Jamie. Most people would only see the worst, she had somehow managed to see the good in things.

Watching her, Chris realized that this was probably the first time she's gotten any real sleep in a while and he didn't want to wake her. Knowing that he had to report all the information that she had just given him to the captain, Chris had three options; he could take her back to sickbay, he could let her sleep in his quarters or he could take her to his dad. Making a decision, Chris carefully maneuvered Jamie into his arms and carried her out of engineering, earning sad and worried looks from the crew members he passed.

_Charlie_

Charlie was a little surprised when Chris showed up at his door with a child in his arms. Once he got a look at her, he realized that she was the girl he had observed in sickbay a few days earlier. "Do I want to know why you're walking around the ship with a teenage girl in your arms, son?"

"She fell asleep on me in engineering and you were the closest. I have to talk to the captain but I don't want her to wake up alone. If I take her back to sickbay I doubt she'll get to sleep for long and she's exhausted." Chris quietly explained. Charlie couldn't help but smile, at twenty-seven years old, Chris looked older and younger in this moment. "Can I let her sleep in here?"

Charlie nodded and pointed to his bed, "She can stay, I'll keep an eye on her." Charlie watched as his son, using a gentleness he'd never seen before, tucked the girl into Charlie's bed. "Anything I should know?" He asked after Chris had the girl settled.

"Her name is Jamie, this whole thing is just the most recent tragedy she's survived, and don't get too close unless she says it's okay. It's a long story." Chris informed his father. As Chris went to leave the room, he turned around and pulled his dad into a hug. Whatever her story was, Charlie could tell that it had gotten to Chris. "Love you, old man."

"Love you too, son." Charlie smiled as he embraced Chris. As they pulled apart, the younger Pike schooled his features back into officer mode and left the room. Charlie looked over at Jamie; he had a feeling that this girl was going to change everything, hell, she already has.

_Chris_

Sitting in the captain's ready room, Chris wanted to be anywhere else. His captain was mulling over all the information that Chris had just given him, it was everything that Jamie had told him. Chris was actually enjoying the fact that Kamnach looked a little green around the gills. At least the man understood how this was a huge problem.

"We can't let anyone know who she is. The press will never leave her alone. None of those kids will ever have any peace. Maybe we can get the children's information classified, that way they at least have a chance at having a life." The captain finally said. Chris wanted to jump for joy, this was small win but given what's been going on the last few days, Chris will take it. "I'll talk to the brass and get the ball rolling, you keep doing what you're doing. They all seem comfortable around you and Miss Kirk seems to trust you. We can set aside some space to get them out of sickbay since Boyce has cleared all but one of them. Use anyone you think could be of help, even Chief Pike. I know I usually order you to steer clear of each other but I think he could be helpful with the kids. If there's nothing else, you're dismissed." Chris stood at attention for a second and then left the room. He had some work to do.

_Jamie_

She didn't know where she was. Jamie sat up and looked around. She was in someone's quarters, the room wasn't very big but it was for a single person. Given what she knew about the fleet, Jamie guessed that these were a Chief's quarters.

"You're awake," said a voice she didn't recognize. Chris wouldn't really leave her with some stranger would he? His reaction to her past told her that it was unlikely. She was going to ask who this man was but he beat her to the punch. "I'm Chief Charlie Pike. I'm also Chris' dad." The man said with a smile. Jamie could see it, the similarities in the two men. "He had to see the captain but he didn't want you to wake up alone and sickbay is not exactly the most peaceful place."

Chris served with his dad. Jamie couldn't help but wonder what that was like, she didn't realize that she actually said it until he answered. "It has its moments. We don't really work together, unless it can't be avoided. I'm proud of him, I think he'll make a hell of a captain one day. Getting to see him work is just a bonus."

Jamie nodded, she could see it; Chris as a captain. The man was a born leader, everything about him screamed command. Maybe that's why he made her feel safe. Leaving her with his dad so she wasn't alone was something a leader would do. She had done the same thing with the children, if she wasn't with them Cody was.

"My kids?" she asked quietly.

Charlie smiled, "Getting settled in their new room, Chris converted one of the rec rooms into a dorm for you guys. It has beds, books, toys, and some movies. They even managed some clothes for everyone, don't ask me how. He commed me a few minutes before you woke up, told me that's where he was if you asked. He's reading to the little kids. He said that Tommy has to stay in sickbay but the rest of you were cleared to roam as long as you weren't alone." Noticing the question in her eyes, he continued, "You've been asleep for seven hours. Are you hungry? I know that Doc's restricted diet isn't great, but it's better than nothing, right?"

Jamie smiled and nodded at Charlie as she got out of the bed. Before he could say anything, Jamie had reached over and fixed the sheet and blanket. When she noticed him watching her, she chuckled, "My grandpa was fleet, taught me to make my bed every morning. I miss him."

"Was he on the planet with you?" Charlie asked as they made their way out of his room and headed towards the galley. Playing with the sleeves of the sweatshirt that she had gotten from Chris.

Jamie shook her head, "No, he died right after I turned eight. I'm named after him, his name was James. I'm guessing Chris didn't tell you much about me." She wasn't surprised, Chris probably told the captain but he didn't have much choice since some of it was information he needed to know.

"No, he just told me your name and not to get too close unless you allowed me too." He replied. "He said it was a long story, but I think it's more than that. Whatever you told him, shook him up. I don't think he was expecting you to tell him anything. You're starting to trust him, aren't you?"

If that question had been asked at any other time in her life about anyone but Sam, she would have quickly answered with a negative. This time was different and Jamie had to think about it for a minute, did she trust Chris? She felt safe with him since the second he found her, Chris has been doing everything to make her and the kids feel comfortable and she found that she had opened up with him in a way she never would have before. She had only known the man for a few days but fact that she fell asleep on him answered the question for her.

As they entered the galley, Jamie looked up and smiled, "Yeah, Charlie, I think I'm starting to."

_Chris_

He shouldn't be having this much fun, but he couldn't help it. Despite all that these kids went through, they still managed to find fun things to do. Right now, they were playing Hide and Seek. The game was a classic but still good, and Chris found himself being included. At the moment, the lights were at ten percent and little Kevin was 'it.' From what Chris could see, Kevin was closing in on his hiding spot. Unfortunately, for Chris, his communicator went off at that moment. He got up from under Tommy's bed and answered it.

"Pike."

"Sir, the captain needs to see you in his ready room. He says to bring Jamie with you." The captain's yeoman, a kid named Rossi, told him.

"Tell him that we're on our way, Pike out." Kevin must have figured that Chris wasn't playing anymore because he went to find someone else. The whole room was full of giggles. Chris smiled, "Jamie, the captain wants to see us." He wasn't surprised when the teenager in question emerged from behind a partition. She kissed Kevin on the head as she walked pass him, shared a look with Cody and Tommy before falling into step with him.

"Wonder what he wants," she stated as they left the room.

_Jamie_

"It's been brought to my attention that you want to be emancipated, Miss Kirk," the captain said after Jamie and Chris sat down. "Usually, this is handled by legal in whatever region you're from and most teenagers are a little older than you when the paperwork is processed. Since you are essentially an orphan, and your father was... who he was, Starfleet HQ has decided that we could process the request here on the ship, and as CO, I was given the power to make the decision. Given what I know about you and your capability to take care of yourself and others, as well as your birthday being in six weeks, I'm ignoring the fact that you're thirteen. Technically, there is no one to emancipate you from; you have no living family aside from your mother, who gave up her rights to you back in '43. Your aunt and uncle had custody of you, but because of their deaths, you're a ward of the Fed." The captain paused, "At least you were until a few minutes ago." Kanmach handed Jamie a PADD. "Congratulations, you are officially an adult." Jamie read the words on the screen that legalized her as her own guardian. She let out a small chuckle. Cody is going to love this.

"I was always an adult, I was just trapped in a kid's body," she half joked. Jamie didn't let it show but she was relieved, a group home was not on her list of places that she wanted to go. "So what happens now? When we get to earth in two days does that mean I can just go?" It was all too neat. Starfleet was covering up her involvement, she knew that. What she didn't know is what they wanted? Nothing is without cost and Jamie knew that there were some politics at play.

"That's exactly what it means. You've given us all the information that you had and Boyce says you're as healthy as can be expected. When we get back to earth, you are free to go," the captain told her. "I have to admit, I'm going to miss having your group on the ship. Despite what brought you here, I am glad that I got to meet all of you. I hope that I get to see you again someday. See how you all turn out."

This is the nicest thing that Jamie had heard from the captain since she's met him and judging by the look on Chris' face, it's the nicest thing he's heard to. As much as she wanted to believe that he liked having them around, Jamie knew better, he had a reason for liking the fact that the kids were aboard. The man was a good diplomat, she had to give him that much.

"Can I go tell the others? Or do you need something else?" She asked, ready to leave this office.

"You can go, Miss Kirk. Pike, I need to have a word." Jamie glanced at Chris, who offered her a small smile, thanked the captain for his help and made her way out of his ready room.

_Chris_

"So, what is the real story, sir?" Chris knew politics when he heard it; Kanmach was an idiot if he thought Jamie couldn't spot the maneuver for what it was. "Bad PR if the press figures out that she was there and how she ended up there, right?" Chris knew he was right before his captain even opened his mouth.

"Processing her emancipation ourselves means the brass can make sure that everything, aside from the fact that she is emancipated, is classified. All the details and circumstances are classified, all mention of Tarsus have been wiped from her records. Her information is there, just not where it came from." Chris understood that that the brass was covering everything up, what he didn't understand is why Kanmach didn't tell Jamie as much. He had no doubt that she figured it out herself before she even left the room. He wasn't going to press on the matter now, but he would talk to Jamie about it later.

"Liking the kids on the ship, sir?" Chris was curious as to what his captain really thought. That's one that shocked him, and Jamie, judging by the look that had crossed her features.

"I meant that part, Pike, mostly. Our work didn't suffer and they made everyone smile. Maybe I'm just a softy who misses his kids. As far as seeing where they end up, Miss Kirk in particular, I'm not the only one." Chris had to smile at that. It's easy to forget that many crew members had families somewhere. Before he could say anything, Kanmach continued. "The reason I wanted you to stay is because I have good news for you, as well. You're getting promoted to Commander. Your orders have you reporting to the USS Lake, as CO. Their current commanding officer, Commander Weston retires next month, and you are his chosen replacement. You go on leave after we get to Starbase One and you report to Weston in three weeks. The Lake is a research ship, she's small with only eighty-five crew members but I think you'll get used to the size. Congratulations." Chris wasn't sure what to say. His own ship, he hadn't been expecting that for a few more years.

"Thank you, sir," was all Chris could say, he was shocked.

"It was all you, Christopher. I just gave HQ my honest opinion. You're a good officer and I have no doubt that you'll do just fine. Now, get out of my ready room and go tell your father, that's an order." Chris didn't need to be told twice, he left the room in search for Charlie.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I gave Number One a name, she needed one.

_2250_

_Chris_

"How long have you been standing there?" the sleepy figure asked from his couch.

Chris smiled, "Not long, just a few minutes."

He almost couldn't believe his eyes, this was not the skinny teen he hugged goodbye three years ago, Jamie had grown up. Everything about her appearance was older, her features had matured and even though she was thin, she had curves. Chris shouldn't have been surprised to find her in his condo, he was the one who gave her the code to the door, after all. Four years ago, before she left the Aldrin, he had given her his contact information and told her that if she needed anything, to let him know. A few weeks later, she had asked to crash at his place.

She had interviews at U.C. Berkeley's schools of engineering and physics, since his place was in San Francisco, she thought it was safer to stay with him. He gave her the code to the door and told her that she could come and go as often as she wanted. A few weeks before she turned fifteen, the Lake left on an assignment to survey and catalog a star system on the other end of the quadrant, Chris told Jamie that the spare bedroom she used was hers. _"So put some stuff in here,"_ he had told her. He even listed her as part owner on the paperwork, just in case he got himself killed out in the black. " _If she isn't here, the place would just be empty and since she'll be at Berkeley anyway…_ " was the explanation he used. While it was true, Chris could admit he liked having her in his home, even if he wasn't here.

"Are you gonna keep staring at me, or are you gonna give me a hug?" she asked with a tired smile, breaking Chris from his thoughts. He chuckled when he realized that she was wearing the old Starfleet Academy sweatshirt that he'd given her in sickbay after Tarsus. He still can't believe that it's been four years since he pulled her from that hell. Jamie stepped up to him, wrapped her arms around his frame, and rested her head on his shoulder. "I found out something about you today." Jamie said into his chest as they held each other. God, he had missed her.

"Oh yea, what would that be, J?"

"That you got promoted and you are now the newest and youngest Captain in the fleet?" She asked, looking up at him with her bright, blue eyes.

"How the hell did you find out about that already? The Admiralty only told me this morning," he smiled. It's funny how much information she seems to have access to. There isn't much she didn't know about what was going on with the fleet and Chris would bet just about anything that she's hacked into Starfleet's network more than a few times.

"I have my ways," was her reply.

_Jamie_

"So, are we going to celebrate? Want me to throw you a party? Not like I've thrown any parties but it's not every day your friend becomes a Captain," she asked, making her way into the kitchen to refill her glass of water. "Did you tell Charlie yet?" Jamie was happy, if anybody deserved to have good things happen to him, it was Chris.

"Yes, no and not yet," came Chris' reply to her rapid-fire questions. He had followed her and was leaning against the counter across from her. He had removed the jacket to his dress uniform and Jamie took a good long look at him. Chris, like most Starfleet officers was in good shape, he was lean and cut in all the right places. "Earth to Jamie. You still with me?" Chris' words brought Jamie back to reality.

"Sorry, I got lost in a thought, you say something?"

Chris chuckled, "Go get changed, I'll comm dad and let him know that I'm back. He and Hobelia want to take me to dinner as a 'welcome home' and you're coming with us. That is if you're done checking me out." Jamie glared at him for a second before heading to her room for a quick shower. Of course he noticed her eyes on his body, wouldn't be good at his job if he didn't.

_Charlie_

"Chris!" Charlie was too lost in his thoughts to notice that Chris and Jamie had arrived outside Perfecto in Presidio, where they agreed to meet. Hobelia had no such hesitation; she walked over and wrapped her arms around the younger Pike. "It's good to have you home, sweetie." Charlie watched on as his wife embraced his son, waiting for his chance to move in.

"Alright honey, let him breathe." As Hobelia released Chris and moved to hug Jamie, Charlie hugged his son. "Welcome back, son, we missed ya."

"Missed you too, old man. Can we take this party inside?" Charlie nodded. The small group walked the short distance to the restaurant's door and made their way inside.

_Hobelia_

She couldn't help but smile at them, Chris and Jamie were cute together. She _knew_ that they weren't a couple, but there was something about the way they interacted with each other that reminded the older woman of her relationship with Charlie, it was almost magnetic. They had an ease with each other that few couples had. Even after being apart for three years, they were so in sync with each other. Beyond that, there was also love and protectiveness from both sides. Hobelia had no doubt that they would kill for each other if they had to. From the bits and pieces that Chris and Charlie could tell her about Jamie's past, there are already a few people who better never cross paths with her step-son. Hell, she hoped that she never met Jamie's mother… it won't end well. How someone could just throw their child away was something Hobelia didn't understand, Chris wasn't biologically her's but she would still walk through fire for him, Jamie too. The girl was such a sweet person, she's smart and helpful, as far as Hobelia was concerned, her mother was missing out big time.

Over the last few years, Hobelia had gotten to know the girl who lived at Chris' place. After Charlie explained what had happened to the girl, leaving out classified information, Hobelia made it a point to check on Jamie. The teen was suspicious at first but she eventually warmed up to having someone keeping tabs on her. Jamie had even asked for advice from the older woman after a boy who worked at the cafe near campus asked her out. She was so lost, the girl could build a replicator with a stylus and a rock, but ask her out on a date and she has no clue. Jamie went out with him a few times but she said it didn't feel right and ended it.

Hobelia's knew what the problem was, he was too young for her. The boy was a year older than Jamie but she had seen and survived so much that she couldn't relate to someone her own age, that was part of why Jamie and Chris made sense. Most people would think that their age difference would be a big deal, but Jamie seemed and behaved so much older than seventeen years old, unless you asked her age, you would swear she was in her twenties. To Hobelia, a fourteen year age difference was almost non-existent as far as Jamie and Chris were concerned.

_Chris_

After they were settled and had ordered their meals, Jamie spoke up. "Do you want to give them your good news or do you want mine, first?" she asked him.

Chris looked at her with surprise written all over his features, "I didn't know you had good news." Chris said to woman next to him. "Is it better than mine?" Jamie chuckled and thought about it for a moment.

"Might be, depends on how you want to look at it."

"Well. My parents raised a gentleman, so, lady first." His statement earned smiles from everyone at the table. Chris was curious; Jamie had good news too.

"I got a message from the academic review board at Berkeley. They have decided to approve both my Mechanical Engineering and Warp-Physics dissertations. As of today, I have two PhDs; I am officially Doctor Kirk," she says with a huge smile. Doctor Jamison Kirk. It has a nice ring to it. Chris isn't sure what to do, he wanted to hug her, hell, he wanted to kiss her silly. He settled for squeezing her hand.

"Congratulations, Doctor! This is better than my news," he said with joy and mock hurt, "Look at you stealing all my thunder." Chris smiled as Jamie, Charlie and Hobelia replied with laughter. Chris took a deep breath, it's now or never, "I made Captain, they're giving me the Yorktown."

_Jamie_

The USS Yorktown was a hot property, every captain in the fleet wanted a shot at her and she was Chris' new ship. The look on Charlie's face when Chris made his announcement was priceless, if Jamie had to classify it, she would go with 'terrified-excited' mixed with pride. Charlie always said Chris was a good leader and Jamie figured that whatever happened on the Lake, the powers-that-be were impressed. Being promoted to the rank of Captain at thirty-one years old was unheard of. The previous record was thirty seven. As they made their way down the hall to their shared home, Jamie couldn't help but wonder what this meant for Chris.

"Are you going to leave again?" Jamie could be honest enough to admit that she missed him when he was gone. They sent each other messages almost every day and had the occasional vid-comm but it wasn't the same as having a face-to-face conversation.

"Eventually, the ship just got back from a two-year tour. She'll be at Starbase One for the next three months, at least. I don't take command until then, right after your birthday," came his reply. Chris punched the code into the panel and stepped aside to allow her entry to the condo.

"Lights, 40 percent," Jamie spoke into the air as she sat her clutch on the coffee table, kicked off her heels and sat on the couch. Chris tossed his jacket over the arm of the couch and sat next to her. She rested her head on his shoulder.

"You know, that is my favorite spot. I guess I'm not the only one," he half joked. Jamie just smiled, it was good to have Chris back, everything felt whole with him here. "Want to tell me what's wrong, J?"

"Just missed you," she answered quietly, "I'm enjoying the fact that you're here instead of out there, somewhere." It was a safe answer, Jamie knew it and she was sure Chris knew it as well. She didn't know how to describe all these feelings she had. It would be easier if he wasn't her only real friend, but he was and Jamie didn't want to lose that, she'd lost enough.

_Chris_

"You know, I can tell when you aren't giving me the whole story. You missed me but there's something else going on in your head. I can see the wheels turning." Never let it be said that he wasn't observant. Knowing how to read people was part of being a good leader, knowing how to read Jamie was almost like breathing. Chris knew Jamie. "You'll tell me," he paused, "Might not be today, but you will." Chris was rewarded with a small smile and a kiss on the cheek.

"You're right, not today. Goodnight, Chris, welcome home." Jamie got up and made her way to her bedroom, Chris didn't move. Something was bothering her, she wasn't ready to tell him what but there was something. He knew that he shouldn't be worried, but he was. The Jamie he knew was never this… melancholy, she was the kind of person to see the good in everything. Knowing that he wasn't going to make any sense of what was bothering Jamie, Chris decided to head to bed. Tomorrow is another day.

_6 Weeks Later_

_Jamie_

"Chris, you are never going to believe this, well maybe you will because I'm awesome and you know I'm awesome and… you have company…" Jamie trailed off as she looked around the living room she shared with Chris. He was seated on the couch next to an extremely beautiful woman. "Didn't mean to interrupt, should I… go?" she asked, Jamie had a feeling that she had just walked in on something.

Chris chuckled, "Not unless you want to, you do live here last time I checked. Commander, this is Doctor Jamie Kirk, my friend and roommate. Jamie, this is Commander Jennifer One, she's going to be my first officer on the Yorktown. We were just finishing up." The woman, Commander One, gave Jamie a look of confusion.

"You're a doctor?"

"I'm a double PhD and I'm almost eighteen, before you ask." Jamie replied civilly. This woman was going to be working with Chris and the last thing she wanted was to cause him any problems, if that meant being nice to the attractive Starfleet officer who was sitting way too close to Chris, so be it. "I'm a child prodigy. Tested out of high school when I was five."

_Jennifer_

She looked at the teenager in front of her. She was thin and pretty with long blonde hair and the bluest eyes she'd ever seen, looking closer Jennifer could see that there was a wisdom about her that you wouldn't expect from someone her age. The way Jamie assessed the room when she entered told Jennifer that if this girl wasn't fleet, she should be. As curious as she was about why her new captain lived with a teenage girl who was obviously not related to him, she wasn't going to ask.

"I think that's all for today, sir. I'll get the requests in for the new personnel and equipment. There have been some requests to work with you, I'll leave those here so you can look them over. And we will still have to address the W.T.D.G. coming aboard for our first tour."

"I'll be with them," Chris and Jennifer both looked at Jamie, "The W.T.D.G. That's what I'm so excited about. Admiral Archer somehow got a copy of my dissertations and offered me a job as a Starfleet Design Consultant with the Advanced Starship Design Bureau. I'll work primarily with the Warp Technologies Development Group, on occasion, I'll work with the Propulsion Technologies Division. I'm going to Riverside next week for a few days and up to Starbase One after that. I'll be on the team assessing the Yorktown's new Warp system during your first tour with them. I'm one of the three civilians on the list. I'll miss my graduation ceremony but since I officially graduated already, I don't think it matters."

_Chris_

"Why am I not surprised by that?" Chris asked after the information sunk in. He wasn't even a little surprised, she was right, she is awesome.

"Because you know me," she replied with a smile. One must have taken that has her cue to leave, she collected her things and bid them both farewell. "I think old man Archer is trying to get me to go fleet. Everyone is waiting for me to join up and follow my parents, guess he figured that giving me a taste of ship life will convince me to apply to the Academy," Jamie says as she drops into the spot that One vacated. Chris wrapped his arm around her shoulder and thought about it, it was a valid point. The daughter of George Kirk, the Kelvin Baby herself, following in her father's footsteps would be a PR wet dream. She's brilliant, beautiful and charming, Chris could already see her on recruitment posters.

"Can't blame the man for trying, J. Too bad for him you're stubborn as hell."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Starfleet Design Consultant, Advanced Starship Design Bureau, Warp Technologies Development Group, and Propulsion Technologies Division are all canon jobs/departments with civilian contractors in their ranks. How I configure them might not be canon but that's the joy of fanfiction.
> 
> I don't want Jamie to just join Starfleet, I want to give her a reason. Civilians on ships is also canon, I got the idea of a civilian engineer on the ship from a TOS episiode where the Enterprise's designer, Dr. Larry Marvick, was on the ship. They had a bunch of civilians on TOS over the course of the show (mostly to flirt with Kirk, lol).


	5. Chapter 5

_7 Weeks Later_

_2251_

_Jamie_

It had been an interesting few weeks for Jamie. After spending a day at Starfleet HQ filling out paperwork that made her a civilian contractor, she had plenty to do. First, she spent three days at the shipyard in Riverside and another three days on Starbase One, then Jamie attended a two week conference at the Daystrom Institute. There was no way she would have missed Professor Ursula Mornay's symposium on 'The Understanding of Transwarp Technology.' The proposal for the transwarp project was interesting and Jamie knew she would have to keep tabs on it. There was no doubt that it would end up becoming part of the warp systems in every ship in the fleet once it was perfected, however, that could take a few years.

She returned from the conference just in time to go with Chris to his parents' place in Mojave for Christmas. It wasn't the first time that Jamie had been out to the Pike's home, just the first time she and Chris were there together. The look on his face when his horse, Tango, responded to her instead of him was priceless.

It was relaxing to be with the people who treated her like family; she even got to spend time just hanging out with Chris. She noticed that he was so much more relaxed the further they got from San Fransisco. Chris was a goof when he wanted to be and the food fight he started with her was legendary. They were a mess and it took Jamie forever to get the mashed potatoes out of her hair. She had to take some of the blame, Jamie was sure Hobelia would kill Chris if she didn't. The pair ended up cleaning the kitchen from top-to-bottom that night and collapsed together on the couch when they were finished. Best holiday ever in Jamie's book.

Today was Jamie's birthday, she tried to keep it low-key, but Chris wasn't having it. _"You only turn eighteen once and this is the first birthday I get to spend with you, so get up,"_ he told her as he practically dragged her out of bed at five in the morning. After he forced her to get dressed, Chris took her to some of his favorite places in San Francisco.

She had never been to the Kelvin Memorial before, fortunately, Chris took her there early enough to avoid most of the people. Standing in front of the wall that held the names of those lost eighteen years ago, Jamie wondered what her father would think of her. She knew that she wouldn't be the same person if George had survived the attack on the Kelvin. She could almost picture her life with him in it, growing up in that house in Riverside, Iowa with her dad, her brother and a mom that loved her. Of course, if George was here, there was a good chance she wouldn't know Chris, she squeezed his hand, Jamie didn't like the idea of never meeting him.

After the memorial, Chris took Jamie to his favorite place to get breakfast. The diner was a hole in the wall, but they had the best pancakes Jamie had ever eaten, _"I told you this place was good,"_ Chris said to her after she had eaten all of her food and some of his.

By day's end, they had visited the Golden Gate Bridge, the Palace of Fine Arts, and the California Academy of Sciences. Half-way through the day, they were holding hands and laughing at the simplest things; Jamie had to admit that she had fun. When she said as much to Chris, he just smiled and told that there was one thing left. After they got home, Chris sat her down and handed her a box, "It's from me, dad and Hobelia. Happy Birthday, J." She smiled as she opened the gift; she had no idea what they could have gotten her.

_Chris_

"How in the hell did you get your hands on an actual copy of _A Tale of Two Cities_?" she practically screamed, "A hardcover that was published in 2011. Chris, this book is worth a small fortune. I can't keep this."

"You can and you will, you'll break dad's heart if you even try to give it back to him. He's the one who found it; I just told him what I was looking for. As for the 'small fortune' thing, it's not like I was using the credits anyway, why not spend them on you? Birthdays have always been a sad day for you, no one ever bothered to make it about the good that took place. Yeah, your dad died but you are here and that is an amazing thing."

Chris had expected her reaction, her birthday was always going to be the anniversary of her father's death. Jamie had never really had a good birthday her whole life. Her aunt and uncle tried, so did his dad and step-mom but it never really got through. She needed to know that her birthday was a special day. Since Chris knew she loved to read, he decided to get her something as special as she is. They rarely make actual books anymore, and this one was over two hundred years old. "I know how much you like getting your hands on actual books, and this is your favorite story. Just say 'thank you, Chris' and send dad and Hobelia a quick thanks too." Jamie looked up at him and it made his heart stop, she got up from her seat and stepped in front of him.

"Thank you for the best birthday I have ever had," she said quietly. Before he could respond, Jamie brought her lips to his. The kiss was slow and gentle but passionate. Chris stepped closer to Jamie; he brought his left hand up to cup her face while his right hand was drawing lazy circles on the small of her back. He held her against his body as she claimed his mouth. She smelled like sunshine and vanilla, she tasted like fresh strawberries. Chris was in heaven and he didn't want it to end, eventually it did. Jamie pulled back slowly and looked up at him, she gave him a quick kiss and whispered, "Goodnight."

As he watched her pick up the book he'd given her and hold it to her chest as she exited towards her bedroom, Chris could admit that he was in love with her, he was almost certain that he always had been. From the moment he met Jamie, he was awed. Even though she was young in age back then, she was old in life; Chris had never seen Jamie as a child because she never had the chance to be one.

Since the Lake had gotten back to earth, Chris had noticed everything about the woman who shared his space. She was clean but not always organized. She would eat anything you put in front of her, no doubt a result of almost starving to death. She had no problem helping him read technical reports; she even explained things in terms that someone who isn't an engineer could understand. She preferred tea to coffee, a splash of cream and two cubes of sweetener in either. When she got into an idea or a theory, she could work for days without stopping. She talks to Charlie and Hobelia almost as much as he does. She goes out like other people her age but never stays out late. She likes different kinds of music and has a thing for stuff from the twenty first century; she even dances around the condo when she thinks she's alone. She helps Miss Clara, the older woman who lives two doors down, carry in her groceries. The list of things he knew about her went on and on. Chris loves her, and he was pretty sure that Jamie loves him too.

_Jamie_

She couldn't sleep. Jamie had been lying in bed staring at the ceiling for hours. She couldn't believe that she kissed him and that he had kissed her back. Jamie had always had a thing for Chris, most people would think it was because he found her –not like they could talk about that anyway- but the truth was that he had trusted her, even before he really knew her.

When she told him about her kids hiding outside the colony, he had trusted her to get them. The nurse, O'Neil, had argued that Jamie and Tommy needed medical attention and taking either of them anywhere but the ship's sickbay was a bad idea. Jones, the redshirt, agreed with the medical officer, stating that it wasn't safe to take an injured kid on what was basically a rescue operation. Chris pulled rank on them both, and after finding pants and shoes for her, Chris, Jamie, Jones, Yu and O'Neil went to rescue her kids while Parker had beamed back to the Aldrin with Tommy.

It was easy to open up to Chris after that. Everyone on the ship was nice to them but he took it so much further. Not only did he talk to her, Cody and Tommy like adults but he would also read to the younger children and play games with them when he was off duty. He gave anyone who asked a tour of the ship; Jamie will never forget the standing ovation she got when he took her on the bridge, _"you saved those kids and sent out the call for help. That makes you a hero in our book,"_ one of the officers told her.

For the two weeks it took to get to earth, it was common to find Chris in the room that was set up for them with a kid or two asleep in his arms. The moment she saw him sleeping in that chair with Kevin asleep in his arms, Jamie was a goner. Getting to know more about him through messages and from Charlie's stories over the past few years, Jamie knew she was in deep. She tried to go out on dates like a normal teenager –not that she had ever been normal- but it didn't really work. People her age were just too young and naive. They hadn't seen anything outside their own little world and she couldn't relate to them, she's had to fight for her life too many times.

She glanced over at the chronometer, it was nearly two in the morning, but Jamie was sure that Chris was just as awake as she was. Making a decision, she got out of bed and made her way down the hall.

_Chris_

"Chris, are you awake?" came the question from his doorway. Jamie didn't wait for his reply as she moved to slide into the bed next to him. Chris rolled over so that he was facing her.

"Hey, beautiful, I thought you went to sleep hours ago," he whispered into the dark as he pulls her into his arms.

"I tried, can't sleep," she said into his chest. Chris could believe that, Jamie looks like she had been thinking too hard, she confirmed as much with her next statement. "There's a lot on my mind." Chris wanted to know what was going on in her head that prevented her from sleeping.

"Want to talk about it?" he asked. It's a loaded question, he knows it is the second it comes out of his mouth. Chris can't see Jamie's face but he felt the smile that crossed her features.

"I'm in love with you," she breathed. It's almost too low for him to hear, almost. He knew it; he knew that she loved him too.

"You're in love with me, huh? When did you decide that?" Chris knew he was playing with fire; the easy thing would have been to just tell her his feelings but neither of them ever does things the easy way.

Jamie replied with a chuckle, "I think I always have been."

"Do you want to know what I was thinking about before you came in here?" he asked. Jamie doesn't say anything, she just nodded. "I'm in love with you, too."

_Two Weeks Later_

_Charlie_

Today is the day; the Yorktown is leaving for a four month tour. Chris was officially in command and Jamie is going to be on board the ship as a civilian contractor. It was going to be weird not having either of them here; Charlie considers Jamie family at this point. He was glad that they would be together out there, though.

Charlie had noticed that over the last two weeks, Jamie and Chris had gotten closer. Hobelia had told him that she could see the two of them as a couple, maybe they had finally crossed that threshold. Charlie was happy for them, even if he didn't want the details. From what he could figure out, Charlie was sure that while the two were dating, they hadn't been physically intimate. The state Jamie was in when Chris found her was no doubt the cause. Charlie thought to a conversation he overheard between Chris and Hobelia, _"she has to make the first move. I won't be like the other men in her life, taking pieces of her."_ Charlie was proud of his son; he was a good man.

Standing in the area set aside for crew musters, Charlie watched as his son commanded his crew. Glancing around the massive room, Charlie spotted Jamie with two people who were also in civilian clothes; they must be her co-workers. Charlie made his way towards the young woman.

"Ready to go, kiddo?" Jamie smiled at Charlie as he got closer to her. Jamie had told him on more than one occasion that he was the closest thing she had to having a father, save her Uncle Jeff. The smile on her face every time she saw him lead Charlie to believe her.

"Come to see me off, old man? Or did you come to see Captain Awesome over there?" Charlie laughed at her nickname for Chris; he had to admit that it fit.

_Chris_

Getting everything and everyone where they needed to be for departure wasn't anything new. As far as Chris was concerned, it wasn't even his main job anymore, his first officer was just that good. He got to make a motivating announcement before crew had loaded onto the shuttles and that was it. Commander One had everything under control; he just had to relax until they were on the ship. Chris decided that it was time to get off the ground; he was made to be out in the black. Looking around the hanger, Chris spotted two of his favorite people. He walked over to where his father and his girlfriend were talking with two men.

"Guys, this is Chief Charles Pike, the captain's father. Charlie, this is Doctor John Loh and Professor Matt Hauser, they're with the W.T.D.G., like me." Chris listened as Jamie introduced his dad to the other civilians that would be working with her. "And here's the man, himself, "she said gesturing towards him, "Captain Pike, is it time to go?" Chris couldn't stop himself from smiling.

"It's time to go see the universe, Doc." Loh and Hauser took that as their cue to make their way towards the shuttle.

"Give an old man a hug, you two." Charlie opened his arms and Jamie stepped up to hug him. "Take care of our boy and don't forget to comm us, Hobelia will have your head if you don't. I love ya, kiddo."

Jamie nodded, "I love you, too, Charlie." She kissed him on the cheek and released him to his son.

"I don't have to tell you to be safe out there; just don't do anything too stupid and take care of Jamie. I love you," Charlie said to his son as he hugged him.

"Love you, dad," was the reply Chris gave his father, "see you in a few months." Charlie and Chris let each other go and Chris headed to the shuttle that would take him to his next adventure.


	6. Chapter 6

_2 Months Later_

_Chris_

Maybe Admiral Archer had a point in sending her out here. Jamie has been in heaven for the last 2 months; she spent hours in the engineering department working on the Yorktown's warp core and anything else the chief engineer would let her touch. Chris had a good laugh on the second night after leaving Starbase One when she came to him and refused to leave the ship, ever. Jamie took to life on board so well that you would think she grew up in the black. Now, Chris was standing near her feet while she worked under a console in engineering.

"Do I even want to know what you're doing under there, J?" he asked.

"Valas asked me to take a look at the system controlling the intake manifolds, it was refreshing too fast. I'm actually done fixing it, now. I'm just putting everything back where it goes," came Jamie's voice from behind a panel.

Lieutenant Commander Valas Shran was the Yorktown's chief engineering officer. The Andorian was the first to accept the civilian engineers; answering any questions about the ship they asked and allowing them to work without the fanfare and criticisms that the civilian scientists received. Shran even let Jamie, Loh and Hauser work in engineering when the crew needed a hand and the trio was more than happy to pitch in. Shran had told Chris that they need to get her into the fleet. Golden-top, as he liked to call Jamie, had one of the most adaptive minds he'd ever seen; having someone who solved problems that fast on the ship full-time would be so productive. Chris had to agree, but he wasn't going to tell Jamie that.

"All done," Jamie states as she pulls herself up from where she was working and replaces the panel. "Come on, Captain. Let's grab Valas and head to the galley, I'm starving."

_Jennifer_

Commander One was agitated as she walked into the galley; she hated dealing with the scientists. The whole lot of them were fighting over who got to use certain equipment, when they got to use that equipment and how the fleet scientists didn't want the civilians in their labs. The chief science officer wasn't much help, he was involved in the argument too. Jennifer didn't like having civilians on the ship any more then the next officer but they were technically Starfleet employees and they were on the ship for a reason. As far as Jennifer knew, the two civilians in working with Boyce in sickbay and the three civilian engineers were being treated well. Jennifer made her way through the chow line quickly and scanned the room for somewhere to sit.

"Over here, One," called Doctor Boyce. Jennifer looked to one of the far tables in the room and spotted Dr. Boyce sitting with Captain Pike, Lieutenant Commander Shran and Doctor Kirk.

The younger woman spoke up as Jennifer sat down, "Hey, Commander. Are those guys in the lab being idiots again?" How does she know that? Looking over at the captain, Jennifer could see the curiosity mixed with amusement cross his features. Kirk must have noticed the look of confusion on Jennifer's face, "We heard them this morning," she states while gesturing towards Shran, "they are always arguing with each other."

The Andorian nodded his head and spoke up, "If they would stop fighting for a few minutes, they would realize that they are working on the same theory."

"They're arguing over who gets what. I swear it's like dealing with a bunch of children." Jennifer was fed up with the group in the science department and she wasn't the only one, judging from the nods her statement received from Kirk and the other officers.

"I was hoping that they would be able to work this out themselves," the captain said after a moment. "When I get a minute, I'll go talk with them."

"Good luck with that, Chris." Jennifer and Boyce looked at Kirk as she, Chris and Shran gathered their trays in preparation to leave. "You think I'm stubborn? They have me beat."

Boyce couldn't contain his laughter, "I'm glad you haven't changed much my young friend."

"Of course not, I'm awesome. See ya later, Phil," the young woman said. As Kirk, Chris, and Shran left the galley Jennifer looked at Boyce. Since when was he friends with Kirk? Seeing the question in her eyes, Boyce shook his head slowly.

"I can't really talk about it, but I've known her as long as the captain has. Look, Jennifer, I know you have a thing for Pike, but I'm pretty sure that she is it for him. There is a lot more to their relationship that even I don't know about and I'm friends with both of them. What they have with each other can't be explained, they just _are_. You have two options: you can ignore her and glare when you think she doesn't notice, she does by the way, or you can talk to her. If you get to know her, maybe you'll see some of why he loves her so much."

Boyce had a point; over the last 2 months, Jennifer hadn't made much of an attempt to understand Jamie, she didn't get what the captain saw in the young woman. Yes, Kirk is smart and attractive but that didn't explain why a man like Christopher Pike was so in love with her. Maybe, Jennifer thought, it had something to do with Kirkk's parentage. It wasn't until a few days ago that Jennifer realized that the girl was George Kirk's daughter. Everybody in the Federation knew who he was and, for a few hours, Jennifer thought that the captain was just having a good time with the girl who held the Kirk legacy in her hands. She quickly realized that her captain wasn't that kind of man and let the thought go. Maybe getting to know Jamie wasn't the worst idea, at the very least, it would give her some insight to her captain.

_Chris_

Damn scientists, why can't they just get along? Shran was right, they have been arguing over the same thing. At least Chris got them to work together, for the moment. Walking into the nearly empty officer's lounge, Chris spotted the woman he was looking for sitting in a chair next to the large viewport with a cup of tea and a PADD, no doubt reading.

"What are you reading, J?" he asked as he sat on the arm of her chair.

"The Odyssey," was her reply. Chris always thought her taste in books was interesting; Jamie reads everything but she loves the classics.

"Homer, huh? 'My child, what words have passed thy lips? Can I forget Godlike Ulysses?' I always liked that one." Jamie looked up at him and smiled. Before either of them can say anything else, Chris' yeoman, Sanz, interrupted them.

"There is a priority message coming from Admiral Archer, sir," the young man told him.

"Thanks, Sanz. I'm on my way. Pike out." Chris looked at Jamie.

"Better get moving, Captain," she said with a chuckle.

_Jamie_

After Chris left the lounge to take Archer's comm, Jamie went to his quarters. The pair didn't broadcast their relationship, but they didn't exactly hide it, either. Most of the crew just thought that they were good friends; a handful knew that they were a couple and nobody else cared. Because he was the captain and she's a civilian, there weren't many rumors about them; the ones she had heard were either really tame or ridiculously hilarious. Her favorite rumors were the ones about Jamie being Chris' daughter or sister; they both had a good laugh when they heard those. The sound of the door opening pulled Jamie from her thoughts. She knew something was wrong as soon as she looked at Chris. He walked over and sat down on the couch next to her.

Taking her hand in his, Chris spoke, "There was an accident on the Hernandez; warp containment breach. We're being diverted to help them. Your mother was there during the breach, she sealed engineering and saved the ship but she didn't survive the radiation. She's dead, J."

Jamie took a deep breath; Winona was dead. She didn't know what to think, Winona was her mother but they didn't really have a relationship. Winona was heartbroken after George died, instead of taking care of her children; she blamed Jamie and abandoned them in Iowa. Jamie understood, in a way. If something happened to Chris, there's no telling what she would do. The difference was that they didn't have children, that's the part Jamie could never grasp. It would be easy not to care but she wasn't heartless.

"Are they having a service for her?" she asked quietly.

Chris nodded, "Yea, Archer notified them that you were in route with us, so they're waiting until you get there. We rendezvous in thirty-seven hours. Are you… I know you and your mother didn't have much of a relationship, but…"

"She was still my mother, even though she didn't give a damn about me," she finished for him. She was silent for a moment before speaking again, "The worst part is that I'll never get to really know her, to see the women that my father loved, to see the mom that Sam had for four years. She never gave me a chance to be anything to her but a burden. And I still loved her, even though she didn't love me back." Jamie felt the tears forming and she let them fall.

For the first time in years, Jamie cried. She cried for the life she missed out on, for the childhood she never got to have, for the parents that she never got the chance to know, for her brother who did his best to look out for her until his last breath, and for her grandfather who tried his best to show her that she was special. She cried for Aunt Marie, Uncle Jeff, Percy, the other children on Tarsus that she couldn't save, and she cried for Hoshi, the woman had no reason to care but loved Jamie anyway and taught her so much about life and what it meant to be a good person. Chris just pulled her into his arms and held her.

_Chris_

It started slow with a kiss to his neck, then his jaw and finally his lips. The look in Jamie's eyes when she straddled him told Chris that he was in trouble. When she moved to pull his shirt over his head, Chris stopped her.

"Are you sure about this, J? We don't have to..." She looked at him; her blue eyes hiding nothing, Chris could see the love, lust, certainty and a little sadness in them.

"I want to. I want you," was her quiet reply. They had talked about this before, he had always told her, " _when you're ready,_ " and he meant it.

He let her pull the command gold tunic and black undershirt over his head and closed his eyes as she ran her hands over his chest, when he felt her kiss the spot over his heart, Chris knew that there was no going back. He slowly pulled Jamie's shirt over her head,  his eyes taking in every exposed inch of her smooth skin.

"You are so beautiful," he whispered against her neck. Not wanting their first time together to be on the couch, Chris stood with Jamie in his arms and she automatically wrapped her legs around him as he walked them to his bed.

Everything seemed to speed up and slow down at the same time. They somehow managed to undress each other without breaking contact. Each of them exploring the other with their eyes, hands and lips, Chris couldn't help but wonder how he got so damn lucky.

"Are you sure?" he asked again, just to be certain.

Jamie looked up at him, "I've never been more sure about anything."

_Jamie_

The moment Chris joined his body with hers; Jamie felt complete for the first time in her life. As they moved together, she could tell that he was holding back; worried that he'd hurt her or bring back memories of Frank and Kodos' men.

"You won't hurt me, Chris. You love me too much," she whispered, kissing any part of him that she could reach, "I trust you. You won't hurt me." She knew she was right when Chris gave her a look that could melt titanium. They say 'I love you' to each other all the time but Jamie had never said that she trusted him, she implied it but this is the first time she said the words.

He kissed her collarbone, her neck and then moved to her lips; she opened for him and he slipped his tongue inside. Whether he realized it or not, he owned her, heart, body and soul. She could feel every inch of him, when he picked up speed, Jamie felt like she had died and gone to heaven. She was so lost in the feel of him against her body, his hands on her skin, and his lips on hers. She was even lost in the way he smells of sandalwood, rain storms and regulation soap.

"Open those beautiful blues, J," he said to her in a voice that was his but full of so many emotions. Locking her eyes with his sent a rush of electricity through her, pushing her towards the edge.

"Chris," it came out as a chocked sob, she was so close. He moved harder and faster.

"Let go, J, I have you." His words, whispered into her ear sent her world shattering into a million pieces. Chris was right behind her; he moved a few more times before he exploded with her name on his lips. "You're going to be the death of me, J. But at least I'd die happy."


	7. Chapter 7

_Jamie_

"I know that you and the captain are… _close_ , Doctor Kirk but I cannot allow you to go on an away mission, even if it's only to another ship." Commander One must have some nerve, pulling people off of Chris' list for approved personnel to go to the Hernandez. Jamie wasn't blind and she knew the older woman had her sights set on the captain; she can't really blame her. "We have engineers slated to assist with the Hernandez's repairs. I'm sorry if this inconveniences _you_ in some way, but we lost officers on that ship and letting civilians go over there to socialize is out of the question," the older woman continued. Dr. Loh, who was standing next to Jamie, glared at Commander One's implication.

Before Jamie could speak, Chris entered the room. "Commander, that's enough," Chris' voice left no room for argument, he was not happy. Boyce had come in behind Chris, taking in the scene; the doctor looked at One and shook his head. The engineers that were waiting with Jamie seemed to have let out a collective breath. "If you have an issue with Doctor Kirk being assigned to MY away team, you take it up with me. You don't pull her off the roster; you sure as hell don't do it without my knowledge." The look on his face was one that Jamie had never seen before; it was a mix of commanding and pissed off; it was hot.

"Well, with all due respect, sir. When it comes to Doctor Kirk, you don't think very clearly." Everyone did a double take; she really shouldn't have said that.

"Lieutenants, Ensign, give us the room for a moment. Doctor Loh, you can stay if it's alright with Jamie." Boyce instructed the two engineers and two transporter techs. The four officers looked at their captain and first officer before making their way out of the room, Loh looked at Jamie, who told him to stay. Boyce was clearly there to play referee as he moved to stand between the two senior officers. For a moment, no one said anything.

_Chris_

"There must be a really good reason that you changed the roster for my away team without notifying me and I can't wait to hear it, Commander." Chris was pissed off; he had noticed her advances and the way she looked at Jamie when she thought they weren't paying attention. He never said anything because she maintained her professionalism, until today.

"Doctor Kirk's presence on the Hernandez is unnecessary, sir. They have enough to deal with over there without having to play host to your girlfriend and her friend." Jamie and Loh did their best not to look offended but he could tell that they were; Chris really wanted to strangle the Starfleet officer in front of him.

"That was not your decision to make. Doctors Kirk and Loh are among the best in their field, which is damn impressive considering that they are both under 21 years old. The issue on the Hernandez involves the ship's warp core. What kind of idiot would I be if I don't let the warp specialists help with the repairs? They volunteered to go over there so that Shran didn't have to send all of his best people." The look on One's face told them all that she didn't consider that. "You went against my orders without even bothering to let me know. What's more, you let your personal bias affect your professional judgement. What Doctor Kirk and I are to each other is none of your business." He took a deep breath, "And not that you needed to know, Commander, but Doctor Kirk is expected on the Hernandez anyway for her mother's memorial."

"There aren't any Kirk's listed as casualties, sir." One can't be that dense, can she? Chris could tell that Jamie was fed up, she rolled her eyes and spoke.

"My mother got remarried when I was a kid. Her last name hasn't been 'Kirk' for ten years. The Hernandez planned to have her service yesterday but Admiral Archer told them that I was on the Yorktown, so they decided to wait for me. As for my relationship with the captain, all you had to do was ask. I've known Chris for a long time; he would never put his personal feelings above his duty to the ship or the crew. Obviously, that's not the same for you." It's not like Jamie to jump into a conversation between Chris and One when it involved the ship, but since this was apparently about her, Chris let her continue. "I get that you don't like me but to be fair, you never gave me a chance. You don't really know me… or Chris. Now, if that's all, the Hernandez is expecting us. You're right, they have a lot to worry about over there; us not showing up shouldn't be one of those things."

"Boyce, tell the others to come back in. We will have words later, Commander. Dismissed." One left the room as the engineers and techs returned. Chris was upset at his first officer but he had a job to do.

"You know, that whole angry commander thing you got going on right now is really hot, Chris. Just saying," Jamie whispered as she stepped on the pad. He couldn't help but laugh when Loh stood next to Jamie.

"I thought you were kidding when you said she wanted your man. Hell, if he played on my team, I would want him too," the other engineer whispered just loud enough for Chris to hear.

_Jamie_

Winona's memorial was sad for the crew members who knew her. Jamie spoke with some of them and heard stories about her mother. Chris stood next to her the whole time as they listened to people talk about the honorable, brave and dedicated Starfleet officer that her mother was. As soon as it was over, Jamie made her way to engineering to help Loh and the other engineers with figuring out what happened to the warp core.

"How the hell did this happen?" Jamie and Loh looked at each other in confusion; the ship's antimatter containment system went off line but they couldn't find any trace of a malfunction, the system had been turned off. The whole ship was lucky as hell that Winona caught it when she did, the radiation would have eventually killed everyone on the ship, as opposed to only five of them.

"Something ain't right, Kirk." Loh was scared, Jamie could tell just by looking at him, "We should tell the captains."

"Yea, we might want to give the Yorktown a heads up, too." As they made their way out of the Hernandez's engineering department, Jamie grabbed her PADD. She set up an external encryption for the ship's warp systems. Then she sent a message to One.

 _To: Commander One, Jennifer. NI082-7266NDO. XO. USS Yorktown_  
From: Jay T. One  
Designation: Personal  


 _Hey Jenn,_ _I know I told you that I would comm but we had an issue at work today. Something happened with the system we were working on, it's like someone is just trying to mess with us. There is no way that any of this should have happened. I think John and I can figure it out, but I'm not sure that whoever is in the system is done yet._

_Anyway, I was talking to Erika today. I think she got herself in a bit of trouble with some new guy; you know how that goes. Maybe you should ask mom and dad to talk to her. I better get back to it. Hubby is busy but he says hi._

_Take care of yourself and the kiddies._

_Love you, sis  
Jay_

"You think she'll read it. I mean, she doesn't actually like you," Loh couldn't help but ask.

Jamie chuckled as they entered the turbolift, "that's why I used one of Chris' codes and sent it to the bridge. Even if she wanted to, she can't ignore that, she's too good of an officer."

_Jennifer_

"Commander, there's a message coming through the ship's priority system." The communications officer notified her.

"Send it to my PADD, Lieutenant." Jennifer read the message, she had no idea how this seemingly personal missive was sent through the bridge, or why it was addressed to her since she was an only child. It was when she noticed that it was encoded with Captain Pike's electronic signature, that she reread it and understood want the message meant. According to Kirk, the warp system malfunction was intentional and the Hernandez is in danger. Judging by the wording of her message, it was done by someone with access to the ship's systems; a traitor. As much as Jennifer wanted to chalk this up to Kirk starting a hoax or a joke, she knew the daughter of two dead Starfleet officers wouldn't consider this funny, "Lieutenant, get me HQ."

_Chris_

"What are you trying to say, Doctors?" Abbott asked. Chris could tell that the other captain didn't believe the young engineers when they told them that the ship was in danger. "What makes you so sure that it wasn't just an accident? I know your mother died but you can't go blaming one of my crew members."

"What happened with the warp core is impossible." Chris watched on as Jamie spoke, "All six, independent systems were shut down at the same time, the only way that could happen is if someone did it on purpose. Even in battle, something like this happening to the containment systems would never happen, that's the whole point of the system's design. I'm telling you, someone with advanced engineering and computer programming knowledge turned them all off."

"The fact that the engineering consoles on the bridge weren't alerted also adds credence to our suspicion." Loh looked Abbott in the eyes, "Those alarms are ingrained into the ship. They can't even be disabled, someone had to write a code to turn them off. We may be young, Captain Abbott, but we are the best at what we do." Before anyone could say anything else, the room was plunged into darkness. When the emergency lights failed to activate, they knew they were in trouble.

"Guess this means you owe them an apology, Abbott," Chris muttered. Getting out of the captain's ready room was a simple affair; Loh popped the magnetic lock and pushed the door open.

"Sit rep, Lieutenant Commander." Captain Abbott's crew hard at work trying to get power back.

"Life Support and sickbay are online but they have their own power, everything else that isn't portable is dark. No shields, no weapons, and no communications," the officer reported.

"Am I to assume that we're sitting ducks out here?" Abbott asked his first officer. He looked at Chris in the dark, "We have no way to give Yorktown a heads up."

"Already done. Sent One a coded message before we got up here," Jamie said with a small amount of smugness. Chris smiled, that's his girl.

"We're all alive but I think it's only because the person who did this needs us to be," Loh stated into the dark. Chris thought for a few minutes, whatever the reason for disabling the ship; the person responsible wants them alive for a reason. He or she has to be here somewhere.

"Engineering," Chris, Jamie, and Loh all said at the same time.

Abbott didn't understand, "What about engineering?"

Jamie answered the captain's question, "That's where this person is, has to be. It's the only place, aside the bridge that has access to everything. If I was going to take over the ship, that's where I would work from. You can gain access to everything, including flight control." Everyone on the bridge took a moment to absorb what Jamie had just told them.

Captain Abbott broke the silence, "Have any idea about how to get control of my ship back, Doctor Kirk?"

"I might have a few."

_Jamie_

The plan was simple, use the Jefferies to get their team of five to engineering, Jamie and Loh would turn everything back on while Chris and two security officers would arrest the traitor. Once they got to engineering, they realized that it wasn't one person but three. Carver and Salinski were engineers and Thomas was a computer programmer. The trio had become disillusioned with Starfleet; they had sent the Hernandez's location to the Romulan Star Empire, hoping to show their alliance with the R.S.E. and defect. Salinski and Thomas surrendered but Carver put up a fight. Everything was alright until he got the upper hand on Chris and pulled a knife.

Jamie didn't even think about it when she grabbed Chris' phaser from the ground near her feet and shot the traitor, the weapon was on stun but since Carver was standing too close to a ledge, he fell over the railing behind him into the main shuttlebay and died. She wanted to feel bad that she killed this man but she couldn't, Jamie had killed on Tarsus to protect herself and her kids, there was no way she was going to feel bad for killing someone to protect Chris.

They were all grateful that they had managed to get everything back up before the enemy ship showed up. The Yorktown headed the Romulans off and the Hernandez backed them up. Together the two ships drive the Romulan vessel back into their space.

"I was wrong, doctors. I'm sorry I didn't listen to you sooner." Well, hot damn, Abbott really did apologize. "Your mother's effects have already been sent over to the Yorktown. I think she would be proud. On behalf of everyone on the Hernandez, thank you." Jamie didn't know what to say, so she didn't say anything. Would her mother be proud? Did she know anything about Jamie at all? Jamie's thought were cut short when Chris walked over to her.

"Let's go home, J."

_Jennifer_

"I owe you an apology." Jennifer felt like such a bitch after the incident in the transporter room a few days ago, and she felt even worse with the issue on the Hernandez, "I was out of line and disrespectful. I'm sorry for my behavior. I'm also sorry about your mom, I'm sure I didn't help matters." She sought Kirk out and found her in one of the Jefferies tubes hard at work. After a talk with Captain Pike and a quick rundown of the events on the other ship, Jennifer spent the last couple of days thinking about her thoughts and actions towards the younger woman. Kirk made a valid point; Jennifer never gave her a chance. "I know you don't have to forgive me, but if you'll give me a chance, I would like to try to get to know you."

Kirk looked at the older woman, "Commander, I already forgave you. Life is too short to hold petty grudges; I know that better than most. I'm still a little upset, but only because you questioned Chris' character and he's one of the most honorable people I've ever met; gets it from his dad." Jennifer shouldn't be surprised that Jamie knew the captain's father. Jamie continued, "I was going to head to the lounge later; you're more than welcome to join. Loh and Hauser are going to play a game of chess, I play winner."

Jennifer smiled, "I'd love to. I didn't know you played chess."

A smile crossed Kirk's features, "Yea, a friend taught me when I was eleven. I have a game with Charlie, Chris' dad; it's been going for a year, who knows when we'll finish it."

"Can I ask you a question?" Jennifer waited until Jamie nodded before she continued, "Why did you send that message to me? You could have sent to Boyce or Shran, they wouldn't have questioned it." Jamie put down the tool she was working with and faced Jennifer.

"Because you're a good officer, I knew once you realized what i was saying but not saying, that you would do whatever you could to protect your captain and the crew of your sister ship."

_Charlie_

"Hey, old man." Charlie was happy for a chance to talk to his son.

"Long time no speak. How's life out there? I have it on good authority that you had an interesting week."

Chris chuckled at his father, "Let me guess, Jamie talked to Hobelia."

"Yep, you know them, they talk about everything. _Everything_." Charlie watched as his son put together his meaning.

"Oh… o _oh_. Do I even want to know what she said?" When Jamie comm'ed and asked to talk to Hobelia, Charlie didn't think anything of it. The two women reminded him of an aunt looking out for her niece; talking about everything you wouldn't tell a parent. Everything was normal until both women let out uncharacteristic squeals.

"I didn't ask for details, son. What you and Jamie get up to behind closed doors is between you two." The look of mortification on Chris' face was priceless. "This isn't why you comm'ed me, is it? What's up?"

_Chris_

"A man can't talk to his old man? I just wanted to hear your voice. Its been a crazy week, Jamie's mother was K.I.A. and her ship was almost destroyed by traitors and Romulans with us on board." Chris could tell that his father wasn't sure which topic to address first.

"What happened?" Charlie listened as Chris explained how Winona died and what Jamie had said when he told her. Then Chris told him what he could about what happened on the Hernandez.

Charlie leveled a look at Chris, "If you don't marry that girl one day, I'll kick your ass, son."

"Why is Charlie gonna kick your ass?" Chris looked up to see the topic of discussion walk into the room. "What did you do, Chris? Hey, Charlie." she said as walked over to Chris and sat on his leg; he wrapped an arm around her waist.

"I didn't do anything, yet," he told her.

"Just asking his intentions, is all, kiddo." Jamie says she could see where Chris got all his charm from every time she talks to Charlie.

"Shouldn't you be asking me what my intentions are; I mean, he is your son?"

Charlie laughed, "Usually, but for you, I can make an exception."

"What would I do without you, Charlie?" Jamie asked with a smile.

"Hey now, no teaming up on me. You have Hobelia, dad, you can't have my girl too." Charlie and Jamie shared a look before bursting into laughter, Chris eventually joined in.

"You know, Hobelia is Team Jamie too, so I guess you're out of luck son. Now, as much as I miss talking to you both, it's morning here, I have to get to HQ. I'll talk with you later. Love you, kids."

They both smiled at Charlie, "Love you, too."

Chris looked at Jamie after closing out his console. "I'm gonna go take a shower. Wanna waste water with me, J?"

"Lead the way, Captain."


	8. Chapter 8

_7 Weeks Later_

_Jamie_

"Hmm, what are you doing, Captain?" Chris kissing a path along her spine awakened Jamie.

"I am trying to wake you up, Doc," he said, planting kiss on her neck and one behind her ear, "I think, it's working."

Jamie smiled, "You're askin' for trouble, sweetheart." She could feel his desire for her pressed against her thigh.

"So, that's what the T is for. Jamison Trouble Kirk, suits you," Chris replied with a chuckle as he continued to kiss and caress her body. This is what she gets for sleeping naked, he was driving her crazy.

Jamie made a move to roll over so she could see him, but he wouldn't let her. Instead, Chris gently grabbed her hips and pulled her up on her knees. Jamie couldn't control the shiver that rolled though her body as he entered her. She whispered his name as he pulled back and pushed in again. Jamie could feel the tension building inside of her as he pushed her closer and closer to the edge with slow measured thrusts. She lost herself to the feel of him moving inside her. It felt like fire was dancing along her skin when Chris whispered her name against her back. He increased his pace; his hands were holding her hips, almost painfully.

"Ch-Chris," it came out a stutter. He pulled away and maneuvered them both so that she was on top of him.

Jamie opened her mouth to protest but the words died on her tongue when she looked at him. In his eyes was something so primal and raw; he was losing control of himself. Jamie would bet that this has never happened to him before. Chris was not a man who lost control; it's what makes him a good officer and a good leader. Her heart flipped in her chest at the realization that she was the cause. His gray eyes locked with her blue as she slid onto him; Chris let her set the rhythm. Every thought was pushed from her mind as she focused on the feel of him, she couldn't even remember her name.

His hands moved from her hips to her hair, pulling her down for a kiss. She increased speed as her tongue moved with his. Jamie pulled back to look Chris in the eyes, it was enough to make her come apart; he continued his movements, harder and faster pulling another orgasm from her on the heels of the last one. Her name was on his lips as he joined her fall over the edge.

Jamie collapsed on his chest, "Please tell me that's my new alarm." When Chris didn't respond, she looked at him. "You ok?"

"Sorry, lost myself for a second there, J. Never…" he trailed off.

"Hey," she kissed his neck, "It's ok, I think I like it when you lose control." She was rewarded with a chuckle.

"That so?" he asked.

"Yea, and as much as I want to spend all day in bed proving it to you, you have work to do, Captain. We'll be back on earth tonight; we can lose control when we get home."

_Chris_

"Captain, we have received our berth from Starbase One and have been cleared to dock," the communications officer notified him.

"Thank you, lieutenant. Helm, take us in." Chris was ready for this tour to end. It wasn't a long trip, just annoying. He thought it was funny that he spent three years on a research ship but the second he's back on a cruiser they get a research mission. He knew that part of the reason behind it was the assessment that Jamie and her team made on the warp system but the point of a ship like the Yorktown wasn't to play taxi for a team of scientists, especially when they couldn't get along for more than five minutes.

Chris was a person of action and judging by her actions on the Hernandez, so was Jamie. He had always known she could handle herself but to watch her problem solve, execute a mission, and shoot somebody to protect him was something he never thought he'd see. When Loh asked her about it a few days later, she simply shrugged, " _wasn't the first time_." One and Loh were surprised, Shran was impressed –Andorians and their violence- and Boyce understanding. Chris wasn't surprised, he thought back to the things she told him about Tarsus; the men she killed to protect her children, the 'missions' she went on in order to feed them and the torture she endured to keep their location from Kodos. Chris was considering having a long conversation with Jamie about joining the fleet.

"Do you have a minute, sir?" Chris looked at his first officer and nodded.

"Lieutenant Randolph, take the con," he ordered. One followed Chris as they entered his ready room. When the door closed, he spoke, "What do you need, Commander?"

"I wanted to apologize. I know you told me that Kirk was the one who deserved the apology but I feel that I owe you one as well. I not only questioned your actions as my captain but I questioned your morals as a person. I know you that you wouldn't put anything before your crew, I let my jealousy get the best of me and I was out of line. I just wanted to say that I'm sorry."

Chris looked at the woman before him, he knew that she and Jamie had come to a truce of some kind but he never considered that she felt the need to apologize to him, too. He read her the riot act but he didn't give her an opportunity to apologize, if it wasn't about the ship he stayed away from her.

"I accept your apology, One." He noticed that she seemed to be relieved. She looked at him like she had something else to say, "Go ahead."

"What's Kirk's next assignment, if you don't mind my asking?" Chris regarded her for a second, unsure of why she would want to know. Seeing that she seemed to just be curious, he told her.

"She'll be at HQ for the next month and then she and Loh are going with the Lovell for two months. Why do you ask?"

"Curiosity. I'm guessing she hasn't considered the fleet, although, given her parentage, it would be hard to get anyone to see past her name. She would make a good officer." One had just put voice to his own thoughts. She continued, "I know someone who's in engineering on the Lovell. He was one of my students at the academy and he's as brilliant as Kirk is. I can give her his contact info and give him a heads up. That way she and Loh will have someone on the ship who isn't a complete stranger. Least I can do after all the trouble I caused her." Chris will admit he was shocked but not surprised. He knew she had a heart, once she got over the fact that he's taken.

"I think she'd appreciate it. Thank you, One. I guess we should get back out there." The she nodded and followed the captain back to the bridge.

_Charlie_

"Hobelia!" Charlie couldn't help but smile as Jamie launched herself at his wife. He watched on as Hobelia wrapped his arms around the girl.

"Hey, sweetie. Welcome back, did you have fun?"

Jamie smiled, "Yea. I'll have to tell you about it later." The two women released each other and Jamie turned to hug him, "Hey, old man." Charlie chuckled at Jamie's adoption of Chris' nickname for him.

"Hey, kiddo. How was it?"

"Amazing," she told him with a smile.

"Not that I don't love you, but where's Chris? We haven't seen him yet." Jamie turned her head towards the shuttles that were still landing.

"His shuttle is last, I came down my buddies from engineering. That should be him." She nodded towards the last shuttle to dock. Soon enough, the senior staff of the Yorktown disembarked. Chris walked toward the small group and pulled his step-mom into a hug first.

"Hi, Hobelia. Missed ya," his son whispered.

"I missed you too, welcome home. honey." Chris moved to from his step-mom hugged his dad.

"Hey, old man."

"Welcome back, son. How was it?" Charlie noticed a look pass between Chris and Jamie.

Chris chuckled, "Other than the mess on the Hernandez, a jealous first officer and a group of scientists who wouldn't stop fighting, it was good." Charlie looked at Chris, who had taken Jamie's hand, there was something on his mind and the older man was going to find out what it was.

"Well, where to kids? Home?" Charlie asked.

"Actually," Jamie spoke up, "I'd like to stop by the Kelvin Memorial first, if that's okay with you guys."

Charlie smiled a sad smile, "The Kelvin Memorial it is."

_Jamie_

"Oh my God!" Jamie was sitting on the floor in what was technically her room –not that she sleeps in it anymore- looking through the two footlockers that contained her mother's belongings. Charlie must have just come into the condo because a second later he walked into the room

"You okay, kiddo?"

"My mother was keeping track of me, look." Jamie handed Charlie the PADD that she had just decrypted, it had information about her from the time she got back to earth on the Aldrin all the way to her working on the Yorktown. In the file there were her grades from Berkeley, copies of her doctoral dissertations and her thesis on pre-Surak Vulcan, the formula for the 'indestructible' grain that she and Tommy created a few years ago, holo-images of Jamie over the last five years taken mostly at Berkeley or on Starfleet property, there was some stuff about Cody, and even some classified intelligence about her role in ending the catastrophe on Tarsus. There was a locked file that Charlie couldn't open, from the look of it, it was locked with a voice key.

"What do you think it is?" he asked as he handed the PADD back to her, Jamie sat the holo-image she found of her, Sam and grandpa James on her desk and took a look.

"It's locked, voice key might take me a while to hack since I don't know who it's coded to. Bet it's something simple like 'George'." As she said her dad's name, the file opened, "I'll be damned." She skimmed the file it was a letter addressed to her. She glanced at Charlie, "Should I… Should I read it? She never sent it to me but…" Charlie understood what she was trying to ask.

"It was meant for you, read it. I'll be in the other room. Chris is on his way home, I'll keep him in there unless you call for us, okay?" She couldn't speak, so she nodded, Charlie placed a hand on her shoulder and left the room.

_Jamison,_

_I don't know if I'll ever send this to you but I figured that you were overdue for an apology. I am so very sorry that I wasn't a better mother or a stronger person. I know that the only thing I've ever done for you was leave. I was such a mess after your father died that I didn't know what to do with myself, the only thing that made sense to me was work. As soon as the fleet let me go back into the black, I did._

_You and Sam were with dad so I figured that you would both be okay, and you were. At least, you were until I married Frank. I guess you're old enough to know that I didn't really love him, lusted after him, sure, but never love. I can admit that I didn't think it through when I married him and I didn't know him well enough to leave you kids with him. I just figured that since he was fleet that you would at least be safe, I was such an idiot._

_After I found out about what he did to Sam and to you, I thought I should just stay away; I didn't want to do any more damage to you. I thought letting Marie and Jeff take you with them was for the best. You would get to know Cody and see part of the universe. It was good for you, at least until the governor lost his shit. When I heard about what happened, I felt like I failed you and in a way I failed George too. I was also proud, my daughter saved so many people, I couldn't talk about it because all the info for everyone under sixteen was classified, but I was still proud._

_I've been keeping up with the things you've been doing, all the work you've been doing in engineering, especially. You got your PhD's and you design and upgrade warp systems, just like I wanted to do before I married George._

_I saw pictures of you with Cody at Berkeley, he looks so much like his dad, and you look so much like yours. Despite all the bad things that have happened to you kids, it brought a smile to my face and tears to my eyes to see you both smiling. That's a trait you got from George, he used to smile no matter what, even when he was terrified._

_I don't know how this message will find you, I hope that if I'm still around maybe we can talk. I haven't seen you in almost ten years so I don't think I have the right to call myself your mother but maybe we can try to be friends. I just wanted to tell you that I'm sorry, I'm proud of you and, even though I didn't show it, I love you more than anything._

_Winona_

Jamie was stunned. She got up from the edge of her bed and walked into the living room, Charlie and Chris both looked up at her. She sat down next to Chris and handed him the PADD, "She loved me."

_Cody_

"Working hard or hardly working, cuz?" Cody looked up from the PADD he was reading.

"Pre-law isn't light reading. 'Sides, can't all be geniuses like you, Jimmy." Cody was the only person alive who could get away with calling her that, the other person had been Sam. Cody watched as his cousin sat down in the booth across from him. He liked this diner, it reminded him of his mother. When he told Jamie that, she smiled, "Y _ea, it feels like somewhere she'd be_." Jamie ordered an iced tea and looked at him.

"I went through my mother's stuff the other day." When Jamie had comm'ed him from the Yorktown with the news, he wanted to be indifferent but the more he thought about it, the more he realized that if Aunt Winnie had never sent Jamie with his parents they would all be dead. Even though he was older then her, she was smarter and because of Frank, she was tougher, too. "She was keeping track of us." Jamie relayed all the information she found on a PADD in Winona's belongings.

"Wow, she said that?" Jamie just nodded, Cody couldn't believe it, he just thought his aunt was being a bitch when she gave Jamie to his mom. To realize that she just didn't want to hurt her more then she already had made him sad. "It sucks that you never got a chance to really talk to her."

Jamie chuckled, "Tell me something I don't know."

"I'm engaged." The look on Jamie's face was priceless.

"To Zane? Since when?" she asked.

"Yes, to Zane. I asked him last week and he accepted. I didn't want to tell you over the comm." Jamie reached across the table and grabbed his hand.

"That is awesome, Cody. So the big day is when and where?" she asked.

"Two weeks from now, in Texas. I know it's short notice but I hope you can come, Chris too."

Jamie smiled at her older cousin, "I wouldn't miss it, I doubt Chris would either. I always knew you two would end up together." Zane was her study partner at Berkeley. They got really bored one night and decided to go out with some friends, she invited Cody along. The two men met and the rest was history.

"Us," Cody let out a laugh, "I'm waiting for Chris to ask for your hand, or for you to tell me that you're getting married or for you to tell me you got hitched. I mean, you and Chris have been in love with each other since forever and a day ago. I can't wait to see your kids."

"Can you really see me as a mom?" Cody had never seen the look of terror and doubt that crossed her face. From the minute Kodos started killing people, Jamie had taken care of them, even him. He bet she even knew where all the kids had been sent after they returned to earth. After watching Jamie with them, especially Kevin, anyone with eyes could see that she was going to be an amazing mom.

"Jamie, you're already are a mom. At least, at heart. Remember what you told me about Misses Riley when she handed you Kevin. You said you didn't know why she trusted you to keep him safe, I do. You take care of people, you always have. After what Frank did, you still tried to help Sam. And on T4, you protected a bunch of kids that weren't even related to you. You love each and every one them, too. I have no doubt that when the time comes, your children are going to be the luckiest kids in the universe."


	9. Chapter 9

_2 Weeks Later_

_Jamie_

"Do I even want to know how you guys got this place for your wedding with such short notice?" Jamie asked her cousin and his fiancé as they made their way through the resort to their rooms.

Zane chuckled at the astonished look on Jamie's face, "Couple that was 'posed to get married this weekend split up. Well, you know my mama; she's friends with the director. Miss Maggie's a nice lady. Anyway, told mama I was getting married and two days later she comms to tell me that this place had a cancellation and asked if we'd want it. Now, here we are." Zane replied with his thick Texas draw. Jamie wasn't surprised, Misses Moore is a force to be reckoned with. Zane was the middle child and the only boy, his mother just happy that he'd found someone to make him happy.

"Remember when she tried to get us to date each other, Zane-iac?" Cody, Chris, Charlie and Hobelia all looked at Jamie, "I said 'tried' guys."

"We never went out, not as a couple, anyway. She was too in love with you." Zane nodded towards Chris, "People tried but she broke those poor boys' hearts when she turned most of 'em down, the girls too. The three who were lucky enough to get a 'yes' didn't make it past a date or two."

Chris looked at Jamie with a smirk, "Waiting for me, huh?" Jamie was going to answer him, but when her eyes met his, the words died in her throat. Chris looked like he wanted to devour her.

"Get a room, cuz. Oh look, your room is right there." Cody pushed Chris and Jamie towards the room they would be staying in for the next few days, earning laughs from the four members of their families.

Jamie barely heard Charlie as he said, "See you kids later," with a chuckle.

As soon as the door closed, Chris pressed her against it. "I wanna hear you say it, J. You were waiting for me." Jamie couldn't concentrate, not with him pressed against her like this. He was so close, he smelled like sin and looked like it too, his ass in jeans was dangerous. Chris' hands were on her hips, he pressed kisses along her jaw and behind her ear. "Say it," he whispered in her ear.

"I was waiting for you," she whispered. As soon as the words were out of her mouth, he kissed her. It was deep, soul searing and utterly possessive.

Chris picked her up; she wrapped her legs around his waist and circled her arms around his neck. She had no clue how he managed to remove her underwear without her noticing. And of course today she just happened to be wearing a dress. All thought left Jamie when he thrust into her. Their bodies moved together hard and fast. This was a side of Chris that she's rarely seen before and it's never been aimed at her. It was dominating, commanding and very sexy. His every movement was sure and measured. Jamie clung tightly to him; she wasn't going to last much longer, she was so close. Chris picked up his pace; his movements were less controlled. Jamie gasped as every inch of him pushed into her, over and over.

"Oh God, J," Chris' voice was thick with lust; it sent shivers coursing through her and pulled her over the edge. One more thrust and she felt him shudder as he followed. "I think you should wear dresses more often."

"Ha, we'd never get anything done." Jamie looked over his shoulder, "Nice room, want to try out the bed?"

_Chris_

"Well, look who finally came up for air. Must be hungry; all that _exploring_ you guys did." Chris chuckled at Cody's antics; Jamie just glared at her cousin.

"Cody James Turner, I swear, if I didn't love you so much, I would hurt you."

"Aww, I love you too, Jimmy. So ready to meet my almost in-laws?" Chris noticed that Cody looked a little nervous. He gave the younger man a look and Cody sighed.

"You've met Miss Moore, I'm not worried 'bout her. The girls are cool too; I talk to them with Zane sometimes. The only one I don't know is Mister Moore. Guess I'm just stalling. Charlie and Hobelia went down with Zane." Jamie stopped them as she stood in front of her cousin.

"Don't worry about it, cuz. Cody, you are smart and handsome. You work hard and help others. You and Zane love each other and that's all that matters. If you don't know anything else, just know that I've got your back, always will. We're cousins by birth, but being friends is all us," she told him before she hugged him.

Cody pulled away with a smile, "Let's do this."

As they walked towards the dining room, Chris whispered to Cody, "If you need to make a quick exit, I'll fly the hovercar."

Cody chuckled and gave Chris a quick, "Thanks, man."

The trio walked into the dining room where the Moore family waited. Zane smiled and walked over to them, he gave Jamie a quick hug before pulling Cody into a kiss. Chris and Jamie made their way towards the Pikes. "Well hello you two." Charlie smirked. Chris rolled his eyes, "dad, don't start teasing. I've walked in on my fair share."

"If we could all take our seats," a woman who had to be Mrs. Moore spoke loud enough for everyone to hear, this was going to be interesting.

_Charlie_

Introductions were made and everyone was seated, for a while it was going well until Mister Moore asked about Cody's parents. The everyone watched as the color drained from his face, Jamie gripped his hand.

"Aunt Marie and Uncle Jeff were killed almost six years ago. We don't like to talk about it," Jamie said. God bless that girl. That would have been the end of it until he asked Jamie about her parents too. "My parents were both Starfleet officers who were killed in the line of duty. One when I was a baby and the other a couple months ago."

"So you're both orphans, I get this feeling like you two want something. Why are you really trying to marry my son, Cody?" Everyone at the table was shocked silent. Cody looked at Zane with such love that a blind man could see it.

"I want to marry Zane because I love him, he's it for me. And for future reference; I have a family, they may not all be related to me by blood but they're still my family," Cody declared. Charlie could see the pride shining in the kid's eyes as he glanced at Jamie and the Pikes. Mister Moore considered him for a moment, then he nodded.

"Sounds good to me son, the guy Shana married three years ago caused a bit off a mess, just had to be sure." Everyone released a collective breath. "So tell me Cody, what are you studying at Berkeley?"

_Jamie_

"Can't believe I let you talk me into this, Cody," she muttered. Jamie was Cody's 'best woman', Zane's 'man of honor' was his friend Clint friend from school.

He looked at her with a smile, "Why not? You're my cousin and my bestest friend ever." They gave each other a hug, careful not to mess up his suit or her dress and makeup.

"Let's go make an honest man outta you," she told him with a nudge.

The ceremony was held in this small area near Lake Texoma, only a few dozen people were there. Jamie stood next to her cousin as he became a married man and was the first to hug the couple. Mister Moore wasn't very happy to learn that Zane was changing his name to 'Turner.' He was going to say something until his wife reminded him that the Moore name will carry on with his other children but Cody didn't have anyone to share his name with. The reception was held in the main building.A lump formed in Jamie's throat when it came time for her 'best woman' speech.

"Hello everyone, for those of you who don't know me, I'm Jamie, Cody's cousin and quote 'bestest friend ever.' After today, I might have to pass that title to Zane. I guess this is my fault; I introduced these two one night while Zane and I were doing research for our theoretical physics presentation. I got them in the same room and it was like watching magic. They are so in love with each other it was actually annoying to watch at times. I know them both well enough to no matter where they go or what happens, they'll have each other. Cody, I love you so much, man. When I went to live with Aunt Marie and Uncle Jeff I felt so alone; my brother just died and I wanted to die with him. You helped me smile again. I 'm so happy that I was blessed with not one amazing brother, but two. Zane, I love you too, despite your mom trying to hook us up. You are one of the best people I know and I consider myself lucky to be your friend. Always love and take care of each other, if you hurt each other I'll kick both your asses, and you know I will. If everyone would please raise a glass for Cody and Zane."

More speeches followed and then came the dancing. There was nothing like watching older people drink and dance; Jamie, Cody, Zane and his sisters were cracking up when Misses Moore hit the dance floor. Charlie and Hobelia danced too but, unlike Misses Moore, they had rhythm. Chris managed to pull her onto the dance floor; he started a domino effect. She ended up dancing with all her guys; Chris, Cody, Zane, and Charlie; she also danced with Mister Moore, Clint and Zane's sister Sara. Towards the end of the night, Chris pulled her outside.

_Chris_

"Hey, sweetheart. You okay, you're quiet? Well more quiet." Sometimes Chris hated that Jamie could read him so well, he hadn't said anything yet, but she picked up that he had something on his mind.

"Please tell me that I'm not that transparent," he chuckled.

Jamie smiled up at him, "Only to me. Want to tell me what's going on?"

"I had planned what I was going to say, but I can't remember most of it right now so I'm going to wing it. Jamison, I love you with everything I have. I will always love you. I don't know what the future holds but I do know that my future has you in it." Chris got down one knee. "Will you marry me?"

"Yes."

_Hobelia_

"Let's see it." Hobelia walked right up to Jamie when she and Chris came back into the room smiling like loons. Charlie and Cody had warned her to be on the lookout, they were right. The younger woman held up her hand. The ring on Jamie's finger belonged to Chris mother, Willa. It was such a simple piece of jewelry, a small diamond set in titanium. It suited Jamie, it wasn't flashy and it was durable. She pulled Jamie into a hug, "Oh, sweetie. Congratulations. I knew it, Charlie thought I was crazy. I saw this coming last year."

"You asked her?" Came Cody's voice from the other side of the room. Chris nodded. "Woohoo," Cody yelled, "It's about time. I told you, Jimmy. Hey everybody, my cousin just got engaged!" Cody's announcement was met with cheers. Hobelia watched as he and Zane pulled Chris and Jamie into a group hug. Cody looked at Chris, "You break her heart and I'll break your neck, starship captain or not. I was dangerous at fifteen, you don't wanna know what I've learned since."

Chris nodded, "I hurt her and I'll beg you to kill me."

_Six Days Later_

_Jamie_

Chris didn't say it but Jamie knew him well enough to know that he was worried. " _That's how I feel when you're gone, welcome to my world_." The 'dynamic duo' as she and Loh have been referred to were heading out to meet the USS Lovell near Starbase Ten. They left earth, went to Starbase One and hopped a ride on the Hood. Along the way, they played chess looked at holos from the wedding _–"I can't believe that smoking hot cousin of your got married"_ \- and talked about boys; Loh had a smug smirk on his face when he saw her ring, " _I saw that coming_."

Jamie and Loh would be with the crew of the USS Lovell for two months. The Lovell was heading out near the Romulan Neutral Zone so that a special team of engineers from the Starfleet Corps of Engineering could work on the PXK pergium reactor used at the Federation outposts. _"Be careful out there, J,_ " he told her as he kissed her goodbye. " _We both know what the Romulans are capable of."_

When they beamed over to the Lovell, Captain Brandon Lucas met them in the transporter room. He introduced himself before giving them a quick rundown. As he was speaking a lieutenant entered the room. "Sorry to interrupt, sir."

"Not at all, as a matter of fact these folks will be working with you," the captain told him.

"Aye, sir. I know, it's nice to meet you in person, Doctor Kirk," he shook Jamie's hand. Then he moved to John, "Doctor Loh."

"Nice to finally meet you, too, Lieutenant Scott."


	10. Chapter 10

_Montgomery_

It was nice for Montgomery –Scotty if he can stand you, Monty if you're a close friend- to have people on the ship as smart as him, it almost never happens. Most of the people on this crew were idiots and he wasn't shy about saying so. Scott had been surprised when his former instructor had contacted him about the civilians; apparently, they did a good job on her ship and helped save another ship with next to no resources... in the dark. That's the kind of people that the fleet needed; screw thinking outside the box, the damn thing doesn't exist. After twenty minutes with Doctors Kirk and Loh, Scott wished he had their brains when he was that age. He was smart back then, just not as smart as they are at eighteen and twenty years old.

He could tell the pair of young engineers were bored. Their official job was an assessment of the warp system, Lieutenant Commander Hall was the chief engineer and class A bitch, she wouldn't let them do anything else. Scott was the one who their answered questions about the ship's systems and the one who showed them around. There was the transwarp transporter theory that he was working on, he asked Kirk and Loh to gave him some input; at least they'd have productive something to do. In a few days he would be leading the team from the Starfleet Corps of Engineers to work on the PXK reactors, maybe he could get CoE to allow them to help.

_Chris_

"You look miserable, J." She'd been gone for three weeks and, unlike her tour on the Yorktown, things weren't going so well.

"I am. The chief engineer hates us so we don't get to work on anything outside our assessments. Scotty, the guy One connected us with, has been letting us help with experiments and small stuff when she's not around, I even got to work on the PXK reactor but that only took four days."

Chris chuckled at her pout, "In other words, you are bored."

"Only a little." She smiled at him, "What about you? What's the crew of the Yorktown up to?"

"Waiting for our next assignment but we should still be here when you get back. We can figure out wedding details."

"We can just ask Archer or Barnett to perform the ceremony, I don't like or need the pomp and circumstance," she said with a sigh. "Hell, if anybody finds out that I'm getting married, it'll turn into a circus, especially since I'm marrying you. I can already see the headlines; The Kelvin Baby marries Fleet's Youngest Captain. Something quiet with a handful of our closest friends and family suits me just fine. " He didn't want to admit that she was right, it would be a feeding frenzy and he didn't really care as long as he got her, so, he changed the subject.

"You're wearing my shirt," he said with a wink. Jamie looked down at the Starfleet Academy sweatshirt and laughed.

"I thought we established that this is my shirt, you gave it to me five years ago."

He chuckled, "Well that's tr…" Chris stopped mid-sentence when everything on around Jamie rattled and the red alarm flashed.

"I don't know what's going on but I'm going to see if engineering nee…" the connection cut off, Chris got a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach. He comm'ed HQ; something bad was happening to the Lovell… and Jamie was there.

_Jamie_

Engineering was pure chaos. She looked around for anyone she knew and spotted the chief engineer, on the floor, dead. Hall was only the first of many dead officers as she made her way towards Scotty's voice, "Tha cannae work, we'll all die if we even try it, sir." That didn't sound good; another explosion rocked the ship and Scotty went down.

"Monty, Monty hey, you alright?" she asked after rushing to his side. He responded to her in little more than a mumble, she took a look at his eyes.

"Scott. Scott." His line to Captain Lucas was still open.

Jamie responded, "Scott's down, Captain. Concussion from the looks of it. Hall's dead, I counted at least nine others. We have major hull breaches, warp is down and impulse barely holding," She had taken a brief scan of the info that Scotty had been looking at.

"Who is this?"

She replied instantly, "Doctor Kirk."

"Consider yourself an acting lieutenant, Doctor. You're in charge down there, do what you can to keep us together until I can get everyone off the ship, bridge out." Jamie got to work stabilizing life support, power, and containment fields while keeping an eye on Scotty; this is what her parents must have felt like all those years ago.

_John_

"All hands, this is the captain, begin evacuation procedures." The evacuation alarm sounded. "I repeat, all hands, abandon ship. Godspeed." Loh ran through engineering, he was looking for Jamie, Scotty, or even Hall. He spotted two of the three.

"Jamie, we gotta get outta here!" he called over all the noise. She glanced at him.

"One more second, I'm diverting power to the evacuation shuttle bays and the turbo lifts. Grab somebody to help with Monty, he has a concussion." Loh looked at the woman in front of him, he had caught a glimpse of her like this on the Hernandez, but right now was so much more. If she wasn't wearing an over-sized sweatshirt and a pair of skinny jeans, he would have thought she was an officer. She was ordering him and other officers around while working on multiple consoles.

"Who died and put you in charge." He meant it as a joke as he pulled one of Scott's arms over his shoulder and a young crewman grabbed his other arm.

"Hall died, Monty's hurt and the captain made me a provisional officer. Anymore questions or can we get these guys out of here?"

Loh wasn't surprised, "After you ma'am."

The group made their way to a shuttle through more explosions, some were too close for comfort. There were four people in the shuttle they were aiming for already, and there was plenty of room for more. Loh watched as Jamie directed people into the shuttles. He had one of the other officers pull her through the hatch as he slowly sat on the floor.

"Don't think Chris would like it very much if you got yourself killed," he quipped.

"I was on the comm with Chris…" She didn't have to finish her statement, she sat down next to him. John gave her a quick once over.

"You hurt?" he asked.

She chuckled, "Not really, a couple cuts, burns and bruises. Slammed into a bulkhead; my shoulder is not going to be happy but that's it. You?" John looked down at his hand, it was covered in blood, he watched as she realized where the blood was coming from, "Oh, Johnny." He smiled; they were in an emergency shuttle, with a standard medkit and no one with enough medical knowledge to prevent him from bleeding to death before they reach the closest ship or Starbase.

"The joys of shrapnel. It's okay, girly. Knew this was a possibility when I signed up for this gig. Got to meet you, been a wild ride. Do me a favor; don't run from your destiny. Your father was the beginning but you haven't even started yet. Carry on his legacy with pride. Didn't know him, I think he would have been proud. I am." Sitting on the floor of the emergency evacuation shuttle; Jamie wrapped her arms around her friend and held him as he rested his head on her shoulder and took his last breaths.

_Cody_

This was day five. He felt like he was living in a nightmare. When the news of the Lovell being destroyed hit the network, Cody couldn't breathe. He was on campus; all he could manage to say to the people asking if he was okay was ' _my sister, on Lovell."_ He almost cried when Zane showed up and took him to Chris and Jamie's place.

If Cody thought he was bad, Chris looked like death warmed over. Even if HQ let the Yorktown go out there, it would have taken a week for them to even get close. Cody knew that Jamie was a fighter; he just had to have faith. Everybody has been camped out at the condo since the beginning. Hobelia and Zane made sure they all ate and sleep, Charlie and members of the Yorktown's crew; Shran, Boyce and One, kept everyone sane.

Cody and Zane were lying in Jamie's bed –she hasn't slept in there since her birthday- when he heard the console ping in the main room. Cody and Zane weren't the only ones who heard it, Chris must have too. Charlie and Hobelia were already at the console when they got there.

"Got banged up but I'm alive." His knees almost buckled, she was alive but not okay.

"J," It came out almost as whisper but somehow, she heard her fiancé.

"Chris, I'm fine. Hey, cuz. Zane-iac. Is that One, Shran and Boyce back there too? Don't tell me you threw a party without me sweetheart, not fair." She tried to be humorous, but Cody could tell something was off, judging by the looks they all gave her, she wasn't fooling anyone.

"What happened?" Chris' voice was rough; Cody was sure the man was fighting hard to hold his composure. Jamie relayed what happened to the Lovell –damn Romulans, again- how she ended up with a provisional commission and the evacuation.

"And Johnny died in my arms, shrapnel."

Chris sucked in a sharp breath, "Damn. I'm sorry, Jamie… I liked Loh. Didn't take himself too seriously even though he could outsmart just about everybody."

Shran agreed, "One of the best men I ever had the opportunity to work with."

"He was an engineer she worked with at Warp Tech Dev. He was on the Yorktown too," Cody told his husband. Cody had only met the man once and while he was brilliant and attractive like most of the people Jamie befriended, there was something about him that just made you want to be his friend. Charlie spoke up, "Does he have a family?"

Jamie nodded, "His dad, a brother and a sister. This is gonna break their hearts, he was the oldest."

"I'll make sure they are notified." One added from behind Cody.

"Thanks, One. Scott's alright, by the way, says sandwiches are on you. No clue what that means, he had a concussion.That's how Johnny got hurt, he was helping Scotty."

"How about you, are you hurt?" Boyce, ever the doctor.

She smiled, "Minor stuff that's already been treated. I'm exhausted, we all are. Most of us should be planet-side in twenty-three hours. I would love to keep talking but the doctor told me to get some sleep. I love you, guys. I'm sorry I scared you, couldn't be helped." Everyone signed off in their own way, except Chris, Boyce gestured for them to go down the hall.

_Chris_

Chris didn't know what to say, she was there but still so far away. "Hi."

"Hi," maybe she was a loss for words, too.

"J, I'm sorry I'm not there," he told her.

She smiled sadly, "I'm not, the team on the bridge didn't make it. The CO and XO, the whole bridge crew were killed in the initial attack. Lost the chief engineer and a good chunk of her team. A bunch of the medical staff were killed too. I am very happy that you're at home, safe. I love you." He closed his eyes for a moment, he thought he might never hear her say that again.

"I love you more. Go get some rest."

_Jamie_

It had been a week since the survivors from the Lovell had returned home. Like everyone else, Jamie was debriefed, checked over by medical, offered psychiatric treatment and sent home. After three days of everyone hovering over her, she had had enough. It took her a couple of days to figure out how to get away from them. Jamie waited for her opening, slipped out when no one was paying attention –which was nearly impossible- and made her way to the Kelvin Memorial.

She wasn't sure how long she'd been out there when she felt someone sit down next to her. "I figured that this is where you would go." Of course, Charlie found her.

"Just wanted some space to think. I get where they're all coming from but I couldn't breathe. You've been there," she said to the older man.

He nodded, "I have, so has Chris, which is why he's keeping Hobelia, Cody and Zane from looking for you. Want to talk about it?"

"Wish I could have done more. I know what you're going to say 'you are a civilian, you did more than anyone could have expected' but that doesn't make me feel better. If I had been there when the red alert started maybe I could have saved a few more people." She looked up at the memorial. Charlie reached over and took her hand.

"We all feel like that, the question is; are you going to do something about it?" Chris' father asked. She thought about what this change would mean for her and for Chris. Jamie looked at the man seated next to her.

"I gotta talk to Chris," Jamie sighed.

"Yea, kiddo, I think you do."

_Chris_

"Where did everybody go?" Chris looked up as Jamie entered the condo.

"I told them to go home. You're here and you aren't going anywhere, at least for a little while, they can crowd you another day. Did you see dad, he said he knew where you went?"

She smiled, "Yea, he went to the right place. He said he'll see you later."

"What's wrong, J?" He could tell that something was bothering her. "I can't help if you don't tell me."

"Can you keep an open mind and listen? It's not bad, I promise." Chris didn't say anything, he just nodded. "Growing up, every time someone mentioned my dad it was always he got himself killed. That's the view I had on things sometimes, like when I think of Tarsus I think about being tortured or watching Hoshi die. John said something to me that had me think about it in a different light. As much as I surround myself with Starfleet, my job, you, Charlie; I kept finding reasons not follow my parents. I had myself convinced that the only reason everybody wanted me to join the fleet is to see me fail. I never considered that people want to see me succeed in spite of the crap I was dealt. My dad didn't get himself killed, he saved lives and yea, I was tortured but that was also to save people. Johnny told me not to run anymore. To embrace my father's legacy, because it's my legacy too."

"What are you saying?" Chris asked her.

"I've thought about this a lot. On the Yorktown, the Hernandez and after what happened on the Lovell I think I was always meant to take this path. I'm going to join Starfleet."


	11. Chapter 11

_Jamie_

Chris just looked at her. She expected… she wasn't sure what she expected, the slow smile that crossed his lips was not it. "Say something, Chris." The silence was killing her; he took a breath and spoke.

"Won't be easy, but you know that. Your parentage will be one issue. Being married to me, even if we don't tell a lot of people, will also be an issue. You will be under a microscope and there will be those who judge you harshly because of your family." She opened her mouth to speak but Chris put up his hand and continued. "I think you'll be an amazing officer. I've seen you in action and I read the reports from the Lovell. If this is the path you want to take, I'll take it with you." He paused, "You still have time to take the admissions exam for the upcoming semester." Jamie was shocked, she thought that it would be harder to convince him but she should have known better. Chris has always been able to read her, even more now. He had to have seen this coming. Chris looked at her for a moment and chuckled. As if reading her mind, "I figured you'd want to join after the Hernandez, I was going to talk about it then but we got too busy."

The Hernandez is where she really began to consider joining the fleet, it wasn't even saving the crew that got her attention, it was the ability to see a problem, form a plan and execute it that got her thinking. The same was true for the Lovell, yes, she had been in engineering, but with so many systems down or failing, she had to figure out the best way to keep everyone alive.

"I want to go tactical."

"You have too many proficiencies for anything else. One, believe it or not, thinks you have what it takes. She and Shran both brought it up on the Yorktown. I'm not the only one in your corner," Chris said with a smile, he was right. She could easily go into engineering but it would be a waste of her other talents. It didn't surprise her that Shran talked to him about her joining the fleet, and if she thought about it, One didn't surprise her either.

"Anything else, oh wise one?" she asked with a smirk.

"I talked to Richard today, after he laughed at the idea of me getting married like he did when I first told him, he said he'd be honored to officiate. When do you want to get married?" Jamie thought about it for a few minutes and smiled.

"No time like the present."

_Charlie_

He was not surprised by this at all. Charlie knew after his talk with Jamie earlier today that things were going to change soon; he didn't know it would be this soon but he wasn't surprised. When his son comm'ed and told him what was going on, Charlie was thrilled. He had always considered Jamie to be part of the family, after today, she really would be. What did surprise Charlie was seeing Admiral Jonathon Archer and Doctor Phlox get out of the hovercar in front of his home in Mojave. Jamie walked right up to them and hugged the men who helped found the Federation, first Archer and then Phlox.

"T'Pol and Malcolm send their greetings and congratulations, they're both off planet." He heard the Admiral say to her. She must have seen the look Charlie had given them because she chuckled.

"I've known Jon and Phlox almost as long as I've known you, Charlie. Hoshi told me that if I ever got the chance to meet them, I should. So, I did. His yeoman tried to kick me out of the building, that guy's face face when the Admiral told him who I was... priceless."She didn't say anything else about it but Charlie understood. To Jamie, Hoshi was family. The commander had served with Archer until Enterprise was decommissioned and with Phlox after that, these men were Sato's family. If she couldn't be there for Jamie, then they would stand in her place; it brought a smile to Charlie's face.

"Jamie." Everyone looked over as Hobelia stepped outside, "It's time to get dressed, sweetie."

Jamie smiled, gave Charlie, Jon and Phlox a quick, "See ya later," and followed Hobelia inside.

_Chris_

"Nervous?" Chris looked up to find Boyce walking toward him.

"Ha, not even close. We could have done this in Richard's office hours ago but I wanted her to have something special. Jamie's not the girl who dreamed about her wedding her whole life but she deserves one." The first time they talked about having a wedding, Jamie had told him that she never thought she'd ever get married; she never thought she'd live long enough. The only thing she wanted, aside from Chris, was to have Cody there; the rest of the details didn't matter.

They decided to get married at the Pike's home in Mojave. Hobelia put everything together in a few hours; there wasn't much to do but the fact that his step-mom had it all figured out already lead Chris to believe that she had been planning this for the past year, at least.

"I knew you two would end up together since that first day on the Aldrin." Chris looked at his friend. Phil smiled and continued, "The way you move around each other is almost like magnets, even back then. I'm a believer in love at first sight, you and Jamie are a prime example of it. The way you look at her, it's like all the secrets of the universe are in her eyes."

"I was that obvious, Phil?" Chris thought back to the first days on the Aldrin.

"Not to most people. To me and Charlie, though... Yea, you were. I can't speak for your dad, but I thought that everything you saw down there was the cause. Then you let Jamie move into your condo and I figured out that she was the change." Phil paused, "I've known you a long time, Chris. I'm happy for you. Now, let's get in there to that wonderful woman who wants to marry you."

_Jamie_

"You look beautiful, darlin'. I would say somethin' like he won't know what hit 'em, but he knows." Jamie chuckled, Zane had a way of getting right to the point. "You happy?" he asked her as Hobelia finished her hair. She didn't need to answer him, her smile said it all. Jamie was wearing a simple, white, knee-length dress with a square neckline and barely there make-up. She left her hair down; Hobelia managed to convince her to put some curls at the ends.

She decided against shoes; Hobelia and Zane both gave her a look, Cody just smiled and took off his shoes. " _We used to run around barefoot. In all our best memories of growing up, none of us had on shoes_ ," is what he told them. Memories of running around the colony with Percy, Ella and Tommy brought a smile to Jamie's face.

"Since you're going barefoot too, do you want to do me a favor? You can say no if you want, I know we're keeping it simple and there isn't really an aisle, but… Cody, will you give me away? I know it's really old scho…" Cody cut her off from his spot at the end of the bed.

"I'd be honored, Jimmy. Now stop your rambling, cuz. I got something for you. Zane, Hobelia can you guys give us a minute?" he asked. Hobelia gave Jamie's hand a squeeze and left the room.

"See ya down there," Zane kissed her cheek and followed Hobelia.

Cody picked up his PADD from the table, he entered a few commands and handed it to her.

" _Hey Jamie!_ " It was a video of Kevin. " _Cody comm'ed and told me that you were getting married, so we put this together for you. I just want to say congrats, I bet you look really pretty. You always look pretty though. Cody has my comm info, give me a holler sometime. Thank you for saving me and I love you. Oh, yea. Tell Mister Chris that if he hurts you, I'll get him. Talk to you later._ "

When the video ended, Jamie looked up at her cousin with tears in her eyes, "He's so big. I knew where he was but his aunt wouldn't let me talk to him, how did you get through?" Jamie kept track of her kids but their families wouldn't allow her contact, _"we don't want them to be reminded of it,_ " was their reason, like they could ever forget.

He shrugged, "Not important. Now, let's get you to that man of yours."

_Cody_

Cody felt like a proud papa when he gave Jamie away. Chris and Jamie's wedding was small, even compared to his. There eight people there: Boyce, Hobelia, Charlie, Archer, Phlox, Shran, Zane and Cody. Chris' friend, Admiral Richard Barnett, who officiated, made nine. The pair decided to go with classic vows and exchanged them on the back patio as the sun went down. Seeing the looks on Chris and Jamie's faces was something he wouldn't forget, it was going right under his own wedding. They didn't go with a normal reception either, but there were speeches.

"My turn. I'ma keep it short and sweet since I got the threat out of the way when you proposed." That earned Cody a few laughs from everyone. "I wanted to thank Charlie and Hobelia. You guys love Jamie and me like we've always been family and I just needed to say thank you. I wish our parents could have been here; mom and dad, Uncle George and Aunt Win would have loved Chris. Sam too, although he would've given you a hard time for marrying his little sister. You guys have loved each other since you met, just took you a while to get here. Never forget to love and take care of each other. I love you both."

_Chris_

"Wake up, Misses Pike." Chris smiled when she rolled over and pulled the pillow ever her head.

"Go away," she groaned.

"I can't do that, beautiful. You're going to miss the test if you don't get up." She moved the pillow and glared at him.

"How are you so awake? We didn't exactly sleep last night."

Chris chuckled at his wife, "Coffee, go grab a shower and I'll get you some."

Jamie sat up, "Does it come with food?"

"Only because I love you, now go get ready. Since I have to go to HQ too, we'll ride together." Chris gave her a quick kiss and made his way to the kitchen.

Jamie decided to take the exam after they got back from Mojave. After the wedding, Hobelia and Charlie cleared everyone out of the house and the newlyweds stayed for three days. The entrance exam to Starfleet Academy could take anywhere from a few hours to a few days, depending on the applicant. Chris had no doubt that Jamie will excel, or as Cody put it " _Kick that exam's ass_." She asked him what his test was like but he couldn't tell her, he didn't want to give anything away.

"You are an evil man, Christopher," Jamie said as she walked toward him.

"How's that, Jamison?" he asked as she wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head on his shoulder.

"You kept me up all night," she whispered.

"Didn't hear any complaints last night. Heard 'don't stop, oh God, Chris, don't stop' but no complaints." Chris pressed a kiss to her hair, "Sit down and eat." Jamie moved to take a seat at the counter.

"Sir, yes, sir."

_Jamie_

Four hours and twenty-three minutes for the main test and Psychological Evaluation. Not the record, that was three hours and some change, but she still had a good time with one of the highest scores.

"Miss Kirk." Jamie stood up and followed the officer, whose name she didn't know, into a room with three officers. The oral exam is where command rank officers interview the applicant to assess their personality and commitment to a career in Starfleet. The unnamed officer directed her towards a seat and left the room.

"Miss Kirk, I'm Captain Erickson, I'll be in charge of this session. Before we begin, is there anything you would like to ask?" Captain Erickson was the officer seated in the middle.

"I don't have any questions, sir, but I would ask that you address me as 'doctor'." Jamie had a feeling that this was going to suck.

"Doctor?" The officer -another captain judging by the rank on his sleeves- to Erickson's right asked.

"Yes, sir. I have double doctorates from the University of California at Berkeley. It's Doctor Kirk." The three men nodded. She's worked for Starfleet for the last eight months, she still does. Didn't they read her file? Jamie knew the answer to that question. Captain Erickson quickly scrolled through something on his PADD, most likely her file.

"Our apologies, Doctor Kirk. Let's begin."

_Cody_

"Hey, cuz. Where's my better half… and yours?" Jamie asked. He smiled and pointed towards the bedroom.

"Chris is changing. Zane is in the lab," he told her. Jamie took of her jacket, kicked off her shoes and sat on the couch next to him.

"You okay, Cody?"

"Z got offered a job at the Starfleet research facility," he whispered.

Jamie looked at her cousin, "The one here?" He nodded. "But you think they'll ask him to go off planet. You know Zane-iac wouldn't do something like that without talking to you first."

Cody took a deep breath, "Am I being an idiot, Jimmy?" She shook her head and pulled her cousin into a hug.

"No more than usual. You love him and you don't want to live on a colony again. Nobody can hold that against you, he knows what happened. Talk to him." The day after they got engaged, Cody sat Zane down and told him about what happened on Tarsus. The next time Jamie saw Zane, he pulled her into a bone-crushing hug. _"I always knew you were a badass."_

"How'd it go?" Chris asked as he entered the room. She shook her head and told him what happened with Captain Erickson.

"Well, that it?" her cousin asked. Cody wanted to know if she got in, like he didn't already know. Between her brains and her sheer determination, they'd be dumb not to let her in.

"I start at the beginning of the next semester, as a second year cadet. Before you ask, I tested out of a ton of stuff, I only have some mandatory first year classes but the rest are second and third year," Jim told them.

Cody smiled as he watched Chris pull Jamie into a kiss, " _And_ that's my cue to exit."

Chris released Jamie so she could hug her cousin, "See you later, cuz. I love you."

Cody smiled, "Love you too, genius. Night guys."

_Chris_

As soon as the door closed, he pulled her into a kiss.

"Missed me?" Chris didn't answer, just nodded as he kissed her neck. "We aren't going to make it to our bedroom are we?"

He shrugged, "Might." He unzipped her dress and slid it off her body. "I like this one." Jamie pulled his shirt over his head and placed a kiss over his heart. Chris closed his eyes and sucked in a breath. Every time she kissed him there, it sent a jolt of electricity through his body. They were not going to make it to the bed. Chris kicked off his pants and pulled his wife against his body. He kissed her jaw and then her lips while pulling the pin out of her hair, letting it fall. They practically ripped their undergarments off before Jamie pushed him onto the couch and straddled him, "Well, hello, Misses Pike." Jamie's eyes locked with Chris' as she slowly slid onto him. "Oh God, J."

He held her hips as she took her time moving over him, Chris kissed any part of her that he could reach. She rode him gently at first and he rose to meet her. Soon, her rhythm faltered, becoming less controlled, Chris didn't know if he would last much longer, she felt so good, so right.

"Chris," she whimpered. He looked at her, eyes half-closed, skin flushed and glistening with sweat, mumbling his name over and over again. She was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. Jamie continued to move against him, then she exploded, quivering around him. Chris kept kissing and caressing her body, watching as she fell apart in his arms. He tangled his hands in her hair and pulled her down for a kiss, tangling his tongue with hers. Chris changed their position, laying Jamie on the couch and positioning himself over her. As he slid into her, "Chris," fell from her lips. He wanted to go slow but the more he moved, the more she moaned, her body tightening around him. Chris pushed her over the edge again, this time he went with her.

"Yea, this my favorite spot on the couch," he muttered against her shoulder, earning the most beautiful laugh from his wife.


	12. Chapter 12

_Jamie_

Jamie could feel the eyes on her back. It's hilarious to her that people really think that she doesn't notice the looks or the whispers. " _Ignore them, unless you have no choice. Notify your advisor if that ever becomes the case."_ Chris had told her before the Yorktown left on a six-month mission. She didn't go see him off, too many people but she still kissed him goodbye like any good wife would. " _Come back to me, Chris,"_ she had told him. " _Always_ ," was his reply.

Jamie was thrilled to learn that Scott had been offered a spot on the Yorktown. She swore that One smiled when they found out that Chris asked the engineer to join his crew. " _The Yorktown lass, cannae believe it, the bloody Yorktown."_ He earned it.

She visited the ship a few days before they left, a lot of the engineering team had given her hugs and expressed their sadness that Loh was killed in action –he was helping a Starfleet officer get to safety, they dared anyone to downplay his sacrifice- but they were thrilled that she was okay. Shran was sad that she wouldn't be coming along but knowing she was attending the academy made him proud, _"One day, Golden-top, you're going to take my job._ "

Aside from the curiosity of her classmates, Jamie took to academy life quite well. On her first day, she made friends with two of her classmates, Cadet Third Class Gary Mitchell, and his roommate Lee Kelso. She had to do a double take when she saw Kelso, he reminded her so much of Sam. Gary's focus was helm and Lee's was navigation. The trio had the same academic advisor, a Lieutenant Commander Ben Finney. When she walked into his office, he looked at her with a smile, " _You're going to be the one that gives me a headache, aren't you?_ " He was right; she flew through information so fast that she would finish most of her coursework before the first week was up. That lead to repeated notifications to him from her instructors.

She wasn't the only one blowing through her work. One of her classmates, a Vulcan named Spock was giving her a run for her money. He was only half a point ahead of her in the class rankings. Like her, he had a main focus, computers, but he also had proficiencies in other areas. Jamie noticed that people treated him differently as well. She understood why when she learned that his father was the Vulcan ambassador to earth and his mother was human.

The first time she encountered Spock, it was in astrophysics. She didn't need the class but since she had an opening in her schedule, she decided to go for it anyway. The instructor had told the class to pair off for the duration of the class. Their classmates avoided her and Spock equally. Jamie walked over and introduced herself in Vulcan. The surprise on everyone's faces –everyone but Spock- was comical. _"My parents are dead heroes, your father an ambassador, none of our classmates want to work with us, would it be agreeable to work together? I have doctorate in warp-physics, so I am not as uneducated as they think."_ She said to him in Vulcan. He nodded, " _That is agreeable, Doctor Kirk_."

The week before Christmas, Jamie was called before an academic review board; she -and Finney- were accused of cheating. She was lucky that Barnett was there to let her speak, otherwise, she would have gotten steam-rolled. By the time she was done, she had talked her way around the three instructors who made the accusation and the board.

After they could found no wrong doing on her part, or Finney's, Admiral Komack made it a point to tell her that they would be keeping an eye on her. She leveled her blue eyes at him, " _With all due respect, sir. Everyone is already keeping an eye on me, I knew that would be the case when I joined up. I'm not my parents, you will be disappointed if that's what you're expecting. I have two PhD's and unlike most of my classmates, I've already served in the black. I saved a bunch of lives and held one of my friends as he died. If people would read my file, and not just the name on my file, you would all realize that I've already done most of this stuff for real. Going out of your way to not give me special attention is actually special attention, sir."_

She knew she shouldn't have said that but she was fed up. The whispers and looks from her classmates were one thing but being called a cheater was something completely different. Her words had the desired effect as many of her instructors stopped going out of their way to trip her up. Chris laughed when he saw Komack's face in the video footage –Barnett sent it- but he was also very proud. _"That's my girl_."

Christmas was spent at Cody and Zane's place. Zane's sisters, Shana and Sara, visited from Texas, their friend Clint was there, as were Charlie and Hobelia. She invited Spock but he had plans with his mother's family. She had surprised him with a gift for the holiday. " _I know you don't actually celebrate Christmas but you're mother's family is from Seattle, so these are necessary."_ She had gotten him a hat, a scarf and a pair of gloves in black with science blue trim. He didn't smile but he thanked her and wished her a " _satisfactory holiday._ "

For her birthday, she hid in the condo. Cody came over with junk food and pulled up the original Avengers movies; the remakes suck, Robert Downey junior and Mark Ruffalo just can't be duplicated. Between Barnett and Finney, she'd been cleared from classes for the day. Spock had taken the liberty of sending her all of her work for the day, even the classes he didn't attend. It brought a smile to her face that he might be warming up to her.

_February 2252_

_Spock_

"It's a dumb earth holiday to show love towards people. Traditionally, it's romantic love but you can show close friends and family love as well." Jamie was attempting to explain Valentine's Day to Spock. "I don't really see the need for a special day, if you love someone, then you love them. Life is too short not to show them all the time." There was something in the way she made her last statement that he found odd.

"If I may make a query?" That was Spock's version of 'Can I ask you something?' She nodded and he continued, "It appears that you dislike this holiday, may I inquire as to your reasoning?"

"I just don't believe that we need a special day to show love. I love my husband. I tell him every chance I get because I know, better than most people that something could happen to anyone at anytime. When I was on the Lovell, all I kept thinking was that the comm feed cut before I could tell him that I loved him. It was the last thing my father said to my mother. I never got the chance to say it to my brother or my aunt and uncle before they died and I wish I had; I hope that they knew how much I loved them. If you love somebody, don't wait to tell them."

Spock contemplated her words. He loved his mother, however, he never told her. Spock illogically assumed that she did not need to hear the words, befriending Jamison had given him a different perspective on humans; specifically human women. His mother's control over her emotions was in observance to his family's station as a high house on Vulcan, that did not mean she did not show them, just that she had control over them. Perhaps he should speak with her.

_Chris_

Home, sweet, home. Chris walked into the condo and chuckled at the sight that met his eyes. Jamie was asleep on one end of the couch, a cadet he recognized as Mitchell was asleep on the other end and Cadet Kelso was on the floor. He quietly walked over to Jamie.

"Wake up, J," he whispered in her ear. Her blue eyes blinked open and she smiled at him.

"Hey, welcome home," she smiled sleepily.

"Having a sleepover?" Chris asked. She glanced at her friends at his words.

Jamie shook her head, "All-nighter, helping them with Basic Warp Design class. I got to skip it. Finney knows they're here." He nodded and gave her quick kiss.

"Want to leave them here and come to bed?" She nodded, covered each of her friends with a blanket and followed him into their bedroom.

As soon as he closed the door, he pulled her into his arms. Jamie pressed a kiss to his neck before she whispered against his skin, "Think we can be quiet?"

"Maybe. Let's find out."

_Gary_

Coffee, he smelled coffee. Gary jumped up, he was not in his dorm. No, this was Jamie's place. They had been working on warp design and the way Jamie explained it, you would think she was related to Zefram Cochrane himself. Gary looked around the room _,_ Kelso was still asleep on the floor but Jamie wasn't there anymore, "Kirk?"

"She's in the shower. Want some coffee?" Gary looked towards the kitchen and saw the man from the pictures around the condo.

"You must be Chris, Jamie's husband," Gary said when he couldn't find anything else to say. The man nodded. Gary took a good look at him, he's seen this guy somewhere before. "Don't I know you from somewhere?" he asked as he entered the kitchen.

Chris smiled, "I don't know. Do you?" Gary gave the man a once over, when he saw the dress gray uniform jacket with captain's strips hung on a chair, it clicked.

"You're Captain Pike. The CO of the Yorktown, youngest Captain in the fleet. Sorry, sir, I…" the cadet sputtered. Oh, shit. Oh, shit. Oh, shit.

"Mitch, chill," Jamie told him as she entered the room. Chris just laughed at him. "If you were anywhere else, it would be a big deal but we don't do ranks at home. His father is a Chief who works at HQ. Can you imagine what it would be like if me and his dad had to salute him every time we saw him?" She shook her head and took the cup of tea that Chris offered her.

Gary looked at her, "You're married to a captain? Why? How?"

"I'm not married to a captain, I'm married to Chris. We've known each other a long time, since before he made rank. Doesn't change who he is, he's still the same person I fell in love with." Jamie looked up at Chris, who gave her a smile. Kelso entered the room.

"We aren't late, are we?" the navigator asked. Jamie shook her head.

"You have time," she said. Jamie wasn't in their first class of the day, she tested out of it and decided to take plasma physics/plasma dynamics with Spock.

"Gentleman, I'm going to ask that you don't tell anyone who she's married to. The important people know but the academy as a whole doesn't need to. Jamie gets enough crap because of her parents, if everyone found out that I'm her husband…" Gary and Lee both nodded.

Kelso spoke up, "We won't tell anyone. None of their business anyway."

_May 2252_

_Jamie_

Jamie, Gary, and Lee each stood at attention in Admiral Everett's office. The Commandant of Cadets didn't say anything, he just watched them. The academy's Superintendent, Admiral Hahn, and Commander Bowers, their instructor, were also watching them. Their small group was part of the last batch of students to participate in a field exercise for their Survival Strategies course.

There were two dozen students on the shuttle to what, they assumed, was a class at the Academy Annex in France when they 'crashed' in an unpopulated area near the Spain-France border. The trio managed to slip into command roles, Jamie did a damage assessment while Gary and Lee got an understanding of what the other cadets could do. They knew they couldn't stay there and they had no way to comm the academy. Jamie and another cadet managed to make a crude communication device. Gary took a cadet to find food and water. Lee and two others worked to figure out where they were. They spent three nights out there before they managed to send up the S.O.S. and were there another night after that. When Bowers and his people got there they found the cadets working together seamlessly with Jamie, Gary and Lee acting as CO, XO and Second Officer. Bowers' was impressed.

"Do you know why you are here cadets?" Admiral Everett finally asked the group.

"No, sir," the three replied simultaneously.

"The latest field exercise for your Survival Strategies course boasts some of the best scores in years. Your scores are particularly exemplary. You managed to get the other cadets to work as a team while formulating and executing multiple plans to aid in your survival and rescue. Beginning next month, you will be enrolled in the Advanced Tactical Training course. The three of you will be Team Delta. Kirk, you will be team leader." Did he just say what she thought he said? A.T.T. was one of the hardest courses in the academy, you can't even sign up for it, you have to be selected. It was literally for the best of the best and they were just added to the next session. "Good job cadets. That's all, you're dismissed."

The cadets let out a quick, "Aye, sir," and left the room. Once they were out of the building, Gary tossed an arm around both of his friends.

"We should celebrate," the tall blonde said, "Let's get some drinks." 

"I'm gonna invite Cody and Zane to come along, Spock too," Jamie told her friends.

Lee smiled big, "You think Finney knows?" Gary and Jamie both shook their heads. "Let's go tell him."

_Jennifer_

The Yorktown was out on another six-month tour that left in April. Jennifer was sitting in the galley with Scott when Captain Pike walked over to their table and sat down.

"Captain," the first officer and engineer both uttered in greeting.

"One, Scott. I just got a message from Jamie. She got picked up for the Advanced Tactical Training course," he told them. Jennifer could see the pride shining in his eyes, Jamie was doing outstanding at the academy. One wasn't surprised, she knew that once people got around her name, Jamie would be a force in the fleet.

"The lass is kicking arse, always knew she would. Cannae stop a woman like that when she's got her mind set on something." One nodded her head in agreement with Scotty.

"What did she do?" she asked. One knew how A.T.T. worked. Chris told them what happened that landed Jamie and her two friends an A.T.T. spot.

Jennifer smiled, "That sounds like her." They may never be best friends but Jennifer knows a good officer when she sees one and Jamie had the makings of a good officer.

_Spock_

He was not sure why he agreed to engage in social interactions with Jamison's friends, cousin and his spouse. Jamison had come to him relaying her news of Advanced Tactical Training and asked if he would join the celebration that Cadet Mitchell proposed. Due to the academy's rules preventing cadets from going off campus during the week –unless, like Jamison, they were married and lived off campus- the group decided to go out Saturday night.

" _Consider this an experiment exploring the social interactions of humans after indulging in intoxicants,_ " Jamie said to him in Vulcan. He found her suggestion to be agreeable and accepted her invitation.

The group had gone to a bar away from campus, it appeared that Jamison, Cody and Zane frequented this establishment. Spock was engaged in a conversation with Zane in regards to his work in Plasma Dynamics when his observation of Jamison's interactions with Cody posed a question.

"If I may make an inquiry." Zane nodded. "Jamison and Cody interact as though they, themselves are siblings as opposed to being the offspring of siblings. I fail to understand the dynamics of their relationship"

Zane smiled, "Technically, they are siblings. Their mothers were sisters, so biologically they're cousins but when Jamie was ten she went to live with Cody and his parents. They legally adopted her. So, they were her parents, which made Jamie and Cody siblings. Explaining it to people gets complicated because she did have a biological brother, George junior, so she just goes with cousin because it's easier. In their hearts, they are siblings. She considers me her brother-in-law." Spock understood that Jamison had an unusual family dynamic. Jamison's biological and adoptive parents, as well as her biological brother, were all deceased.

Most of the other cadets were under the impression that being the daughter of George Kirk had made her life easier; Spock knew that it was not the case. Classmates and instructors had illogical attempts to compel her to quit; their actions had the opposite effect as Jamison continued to excel. Spock had a difficult childhood due to his encounters with those who saw his father as a traitor for marrying a human; he did not wish to experience what life would have been like if one of his parents were deceased.

_Cody_

"You got half a second to get your hands off my little sister…"

Meathead cut him off, "Or you'll do what?"

Cody chuckled. "Me, I won't do shit but she doesn't like to be manhandled and you are about three seconds from getting your ass kicked." Meathead had the nerve to laugh, then Jamie slammed her foot backwards into his knee and elbowed him in the face with an sickening 'crunch'. Ouch, that looked like it hurt. Meathead's friends got up and decided to rescue him from Jamie; Spock, Zane, Gary, and Lee all stood to flank her. Cody couldn't help but laugh.

"I told your buddy to keep his hands off my sister or she would take him down. You really want to start a fight because he couldn't listen to a married woman who told him to leave her alone?" Cody asked. Meathead's friends all looked at each other and their friend.

"Sorry dude. We told you to let it go when she turned you down the first time. Let us check you over; your nose looks like it's broken from here," another big guy told the man Jamie took down.

Cody turned to Jamie, "That was seriously badass, but I think we should get outta here." The group grabbed their stuff, settled their tab and left the bar.

_July 2252_

_Jamie_

"Jamison, as you are no doubt aware, my parents are conducting business on-planet, my mother has expressed a desire to meet my friends. She has requested that I extend an invitation to you, Cadet Mitchell and Cadet Kelso to join our family for an evening meal." Since the night in the bar, Jamie had managed to get Spock to interact with people outside of class. Jamie didn't like the idea of Spock never learning to understand the other half of himself, so she made an effort to teach him about his human side.

"I would love too, Lee is out of town, but I'm sure Mitch would love to come. Is this meal following human tradition or Vulcan? I can cook; I'm not sure Gary can though." As she had been teaching him, Spock had taught her about the Vulcan culture. If they were on Vulcan, an invitation to dinner meant that the guests would cook.

"My mother will cook," was Spock's reply. Jamie nodded as they continued to make their way across campus.

"Send me the details and I'll be there."


	13. Chapter 13

_Amanda_

She was happy. Spock had always been a solitary child. Amanda knew that it was because he was a hybrid, not human enough and not Vulcan enough at the same time. Growing up on Vulcan the other children had illogically tormented him for his human heritage. Spock had quietly endured the treatment until he was applying for the Vulcan Science Academy and the administrator made it clear that he would never be treated as an equal, referring to Spock's humanity as a disability.

Amanda noticed a change in Spock when he spoke with her a few months ago. She was excited to learn that he had made friends. Amanda made her way through the embassy to welcome the two cadets that accepted her invitation for dinner. "You may enter, Cadet Kirk, Cadet Mitchell," she heard the guard say. Amanda smiled when she saw them.

"You must be Jamison and Gary, I'm Spock's mother, Amanda." They smiled.

"It's nice to meet you, ma'am," Gary spoke first.

"Please, it's just Jamie. Spock is the only person who calls me Jamison." She paused, "Took months to get him to stop referring to me as Cadet or Doctor outside of class."

Amanda smiled, "That sounds like my son." Amanda led the duo through the impressive embassy, making small talk as they made their way to the dining area.

"If you don't mind my asking, what's Vulcan like?" Gary asked the older woman.

Amanda chuckled, "It's different. Hot, dry, the air is thinner. There is such a presence about the place, even though Vulcans don't share much about their culture with outsiders, you can't help but feel it when you're there. Perhaps you'll get a chance to visit." She thought they were an inquisitive pair, maybe that's why they were friends with Spock; they seemed to like learning new things. They asked about Sarek's work and how she fit in on the world that was so different from home. Entering the dining area, Amanda, Jamie and Gary were met by Spock and Sarek. The young Vulcan introduced his friends to his father.

"Father, this is Doctor Jamison Kirk and Gary Mitchell. They are my classmates, and friends."

_Jamie_

"Dinner with Spock's family was nice. His dad is very Vulcan with the exception of a human wife. He talked about being an ambassador; he liaises with a few different worlds. Sarek is Solkar's grandson; the first Vulcan to make contact with humans and I'm friends with his great-grandson. Spock's half-brother, Sybok, showed up. You would think he was the hybrid, he's so human. Kept flirting with me, Gary looked like he was going to hit him." Sybok was Sarek's firstborn, Jamie didn't know the details, just that he wasn't Amanda's son. He had chosen to embrace his emotions and had been banned from returning to Vulcan.

"Lady Amanda was a school teacher; she likes reading the classics as much as I do. And I'm keeping you up aren't I?" Jamie and Chris talked to each other as much as they could but with him running a ship and her taking summer classes, it wasn't as often as either of them liked.

He gave her a tired smile, "I pick you over sleep any day. What can I say? I miss my wife."

She smiled, "I miss you too, three more weeks and you'll be back." The Yorktown was heading back towards earth, barring any emergencies, they would be back before the next year of classes begins. "Go get some sleep, Chris. I love you."

He smiled, "I love you more."

"Impossible."

_2 Days Later_

_Richard_

There were some parts of his job that he hated, this was one of them. When the reports came back about the Yorktown being attacked by some organic ship, he didn't think much of it. Then word came down that Chris had been taken hostage. Richard had the unfortunate task of telling the captain's wife.

"Cadet Kirk, reporting as ordered, sir." He really, really hated his job.

"Have a seat. While we're in here, you can call me Richard. Your bullshit meter is damn good, so I'm just gonna to get to the point, Jamie. Chris was taken hostage by an race called the Ngultor. I don't know all the details, just that it probed his brain to find all the homeworlds to consume everyone in order to return to their home. He broke from their hold over him and with the help of an away team, he got away. Boyce says he'll be out of the action for a few weeks but he's physically okay. The Yorktown has been ordered to head back, should be here in a few days."

She was silent for a moment, "Has Charlie been notified?"

Richard nodded, "His CO is letting him know. If you want to go home for the day, I can get you pulled from class but I have a feeling that you want to keep yourself busy. The offer stands though, just message me. If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask. Chris and I have been friends for a long time; I owe him my life a few times over." She nodded, thanked him and left the office, no doubt in search of her father-in-law.

Richard was a Commander and Chris was a third year cadet the first time they met. In a way, Richard was Chris' mentor, always looking out for the young officer. When Richard got his own command, Chris was one of the first officers he selected for his crew. They served together for a while before other officers took notice of Chris' talents and he was swooped up for tactical officer on the York, then first officer on the Aldrin before getting command of the Lake and later the Yorktown. He was both impressed and proud when Chris attained the rank of Captain at thirty-one, he wasn't as surprised as many others were. Richard always believed that officers like Chris were the future of the fleet. He just hoped his friend didn't get himself killed before he has a chance to do more amazing things.

_Chris_

Chris didn't know what to do with himself, he's been stuck in a bio-bed for too long; he was seriously considering an escape. Starfleet Medical was the last place he wanted to be. "Don't even think about it." Chris looked up to find his wife looking at him. How long had she been there?

"I was just…" he started. Jamie had her hands on her hips and gave him that look like she knew exactly what he was thinking.

"Plotting your escape. This is me you're talking to, Chris. Behave, Phil said I can take you home in the morning." She took a breath and quietly continued, "You scared the shit out of me, but you know that." Jamie sighed and her features softened. She walked over, stood next to the bed and took his hand in both of hers.

"It was, I don't know what it was, J. I should have fought harder or... something."

"This wasn't your fault, giant organic ships hell bent on eating us all. Nothing you could do about that. Your crew had your back and you guys destroyed the ship. I count that as a win." Chris was proud of his crew, Boyce, One and Shran especially. They refused to believe that there was nothing they could do. They saved his life, the Yorktown and who knows how many worlds. "That's not all that's bothering you." Chris closed his eyes and shook his head, when he opened them, Jamie was watching him.

"HQ has decided to move forward with their plan to build a new flagship. I am at the top of a very short list to be the CO but after all this... I don't know, J." She sat down next to him on the bed and took his face in her hands, forcing him to look into her eyes.

"Since when do you doubt yourself? You're Christopher Pike. The youngest Captain in the fleet.  Commanding Officer of the Yorktown. Badass Starfleet officer. And, most importantly, amazing husband. You aren't going to turn down the new constitution class, especially since I'm on the design team." Chris looked at her, she continued, "As soon as I'm done with A.T.T. in January, I'll be going back and forth to Riverside. Scotty too, whenever you guys are here." He shouldn't be surprised by that.

"Archer?"

She nodded, "It's some stuff me, Scotty and Johnny came up with for the warp system. I'll still be assigned to a ship when I graduate and Scotty will still be on the Yorktown, we'll just have a few extra duties when we're planet-side. No way in hell I'm going to put in all that work for you to pass it up. This ship is going to be legendary." Jamie yawned and Chris realized that she probably hasn't slept since she was notified that he was injured. It was a trait that they shared.

"Lay down." Jamie looked like she was going to argue, so Chris pulled her until she was lying next to him.

"You going to think about it, the ship?" she mumbled against his chest.

Chris shrugged, "Yea, I'll think about it and have a conversation with my wife when she's not exhausted. Although, I think she'd tell me to take it if I'm offered it."

"I build it, you command it," she whispered. "Would be kind of cool. Am I going to be part of the crew?"

He smiled, "Wanna be? It's possible, Robert April appointed his wife as his Chief Medical Officer."

"Might be the only way to keep you out of trouble," she joked.

"You can't keep yourself out of trouble. Go to sleep."

"Glad you're okay. I love you," she mumbled.

"Love you more."

_January 2253_

_Gary_

"End simulation," whoever they used for the computer had a hot voice.

Team Delta had just finished the last exercise for A.T.T. The trick to this mission was that it's so simple. All the other teams over-thought it, that was the reason many of the teams failed. The mission goes like this, the team is on an away mission on a non-Federation planet when some of them –Gary and Lee in this case- are captured by the locals and marked for execution, the mission is for the entire team to get off planet before even one of them is killed.

Jamie shocked the hell out of everyone by getting herself captured. The instructors and other teams thought Delta was done when Jamie popped her restraints. Then she cut –where the hell does she hide that knife?- Gary and Lee free. They disengaged the magnetic locks on the door and made their way through the compound, dropping two dozen hostiles as they went.

They got into the 'control room' where Jamie hacked the alarms, released the safeties for the shuttle bay and overloaded the computer systems. Lee plotted the best route to the shuttle bay. Gary stole a shuttle and the trio escaped. Easy.

"Very nice, Delta," Gary could tell that Bowers was impressed. The other groups had tried to take over the compound, to enlist the assistance of 'locals' which always ended in fatalities or they got killed trying to rescue the others. Delta kept it simple; they utilized their proficiencies and relied on each other, the two most important traits of being a good tactician. It's not about coming up with a complicated plan, it's about coming up with an effective plan. Bowers looked at Jamie, Gary and Lee, "I don't have to tell you that you passed, you know you did. I'm almost sad to see you three go. Congratulations, you have each earned the Advanced Tactical rating."

_Jamie_

She didn't want to be here. The twentieth anniversary of the Attack on the Kelvin was a big deal and as the daughter of George Kirk, she was ordered to attend. Shit like this is why she hid at home last year. She was ordered to sit in the front row, where the holo-imagers could see her, and she looked as poised as she could while listening to people talk about how her father died.

They got repetitive after a while. He was a good officer. He was dedicated to the fleet. Blah, blah, blah. It wasn't that she didn't care, Jamie was just tired of hearing the same crap over and over again. It was a bunch officers who didn't know her or George talking about his service to the Federation. She didn't pay attention until someone introduced Chris. She watched as her husband walked to the podium and thanked the Admiral.

"During my last year at the Academy, I was assigned the Kelvin for my dissertation. While conducting my research, I came to admire George Kirk, not just as an officer, but as a person. For being such a large part of who he was, no one ever talks about George Kirk, the person. In a way, we've taken something away from him and his family by ignoring the things that made him who he was. This was a man who didn't believe in no-win scenarios, who fought until the very end for the people who meant the most to him. I never got a chance to meet his wife or son, but I do know his daughter.

Brilliant, determined, willing to sacrifice for others, she is every inch her father's daughter. George Kirk was, by all accounts, a man who loved to learn and took everything in. A man who would do anything for a friend and anyone else in need. He was, most importantly a man who loved his family. Looking at Jamison, you can almost see him. She represents the best qualities of her father. His legacy isn't an easy thing to carry, yet she does it every day, with her head held high. There is so much we could learn from a man like George Kirk, the most important lesson I took from the Attack on the Kelvin, was to cherish every day we get to spend with the people we love." Chris paused before he looked at Jamie, "I think your father would be proud of you, Doctor Kirk. Happy birthday."

She had tears running down her face; it was short but he had tackled her whole issue with all of this head on. Her father was a person, she was a person, and somewhere along the line, people forgot that. For a man who saved so many lives, you would think that people would want to know who he was; he was more than his last actions. He was a human being with a wife and two children.

She had found out a lot about George when she was going through her mother's belongings. The realization that she was so much like her father had hit her like a ton of bricks; she liked to read the same things, listen to the same type of music, worked non-stop like him, liked to learn and had similar feelings on coffee. Most importantly, she didn't believe in no-win situations, if you're breathing, there's a chance.

_Gary_

"You have seen this right? 'Kelvin Baby brought to tears at Anniversary of Attack on the Kelvin' They released this quick. What did Chris say to make you cry?" Gary couldn't believe his eyes when he saw the reports.

Jamie looked at him, "How do you know it was Chris?"

"Because it was me, J." Chris turned to Gary, "I reminded people that George was a person and so is Jamie. I swear Starfleet is full of the dumbest smart people in the universe. They made her show up, the least they could have done was pretend he was more than just a dead hero for a few minutes, because he was." That earned a chuckle from Jamie, Lee and Gary. "They all keep ignoring that George Kirk was a man who loved his family, instead those idiots take shots at his daughter and forgot about his son. Since he is my father-in-law, I figured that I would set them all straight. Without giving away everything I know about him."

Gary could understand that. He'd been friends with Jamie since she got to the academy, she worked hard, stayed out of trouble and yet people still treated her like being born a Kirk was her fault. He's heard plenty of idiots complain about how easy her life must have been, Gary wanted to ask if he could have some of the drugs they must have been on. Her father died, hero or not, life isn't easy when you lose someone like that. It was probably the reason she stuck with him, Lee and Spock as friends.

Gary couldn't imagine life without his folks, he would bet that Spock couldn't either. Lee's dad died back in August and it hit him hard. He kept pushing because being a Starfleet officer was what he always wanted and he knew his dad would want him to live his dream. It shocked Gary that the same people giving Kirk crap about her dad, gave Kelso condolences about his in the next breath.

"I got caught up in the moment, Mitch," Jamie whispered. He looked at his friend who was showing him her vulnerability for the first time. He pulled her into a hug.

"It's all good Jamie, I teared up too, just didn't have anyone taking holos of me."


	14. Chapter 14

_September 2253_

_Chris_

This was going to be interesting. The Yorktown was a training ship and, just like last year the best of the academy's graduating class was coming aboard to do learn their jobs as part of an active crew. It wasn't the first time for most of them and it won't be the last. As they get closer to graduation, there will be more time spent on different ships.

Jamie, Gary, Lee and Spock were all a part of the group that just beamed aboard the ship. It didn't surprise him. Spock held the number one spot in their class with Jamie a quarter of a point behind him at number two. Mitchell and Kelso were five and six; they got beat by a medical cadet and an engineer who were three and four. The eighteen upperclassmen were all standing at attention when Chris and One entered the room. The instructor that was sent with them, a Lieutenant Commander, went to attention as well.

"Sir, Ma'am."

"Stand at ease Commander. Ladies, gentleman and those of a gender I can't readily identify, welcome to the USS Yorktown. I am Captain Christopher Pike, this is my First Officer, Commander Jennifer One. For the next six weeks, you will be training with us in preparation for joining the fleet. You won't learn everything you need to know here, I'm still learning and I'm the CO, but you will gain real experience in your focuses. By the end of this tour, we will see what you're made of. You are the best of the academy, so I'm expecting good things." Chris nodded towards One who stepped forward to read off where each of the eighteen cadets is assigned.

He didn't listen to where they were all going but he did know where Jamie and her friends were assigned. Gary was going to be at the Helm during Gamma Shift, Spock was assigned to the lab during Gamma, Lee and Jamie were assigned to navigation and tactical stations, respectively, during Beta shift. One gave them their room assignments and looked to her captain.

"That is all we have for you. I just want to say welcome again, you are dismissed," he told the cadets.

Chris was torn when he got the list of students coming aboard. On the one hand, he was happy that Jamie was assigned the Yorktown. On the other hand, he knew that they weren't going to spend much time together. They didn't want the appearance of impropriety. The handful of people who knew they were married agreed to keep it under wraps.

_Jamie_

The way crew quarters were set up, they were two to a room and two rooms shared a common area in the middle. Jamie was sure she had One to thank for putting her little group in the same space. She and Spock shared one room, Gary and Lee shared the other. When they weren't working, they all found things to occupy their time. Today, Jamie decided to head back down to engineering to see Scotty, Lee went with her.

"Don't just stand there, lass. Hand me that." Scotty pointed to a tool on the deck, she grabbed it and tossed it to him. "Who's the laddie?" Jamie introduced Kelso to Lieutenant Commander Scott, the assistant chief engineer. Jamie was excited when he'd told her about his promotion, she could see him running his own engineering department one day, " _and you'll be the captain, lass_."

Jamie looked at Scotty, "Anything around here for me to do?"

"Aye, lass," he chuckled. "I'm working on a few things for that new ship. You and the lad are more than welcome to have a look. Saves me from sending it to you later." Scotty handed her a PADD and got back to work. Lee looked over her shoulder as they sat near Scotty's workspace, close enough to help but far enough not to get hurt.

"Are you guys really building the flagship?" Lee asked.

"Yea, Lee, we are," she said.

_Jennifer_

When Jennifer was right about something, boy was she ever. She usually had the con during Beta shift, which meant she had the chance to watch Jamie and her friend Lee work. They did an impressive job operating their stations. They also worked well together, quietly tossing tactical analysis and headings back and forth. If she didn't know that they were cadets, she would have thought they had both been officers for years. As it stood they were both graduating as full lieutenants anyway thanks to Advanced Tactical ratings and their class rankings. According to the Gamma duty officer, their friends Spock and Mitchell were just as impressive.

"Commander, there's a communication coming from HQ," her thoughts were cut short by the communications officer.

"I'll take it in the captain's ready room. Randolph take the con," she ordered as she walked out of the room.

Talking to the brass didn't really bother her, she relayed everything that was going on and received the ship's orders, when she was nearing the end of the conversation, things got interesting. Two days ago while the ship was at Starbase Ten, they received a message from HQ that Chief Charles Pike was ill, the captain and Kirk had taken Icarus, one of the shuttles, and headed back to earth, the Yorktown was only a day and a half behind them. According to Admiral Barnett, there was nothing wrong with Charlie; the message was not from him.

"If you didn't send that message, sir, who did? And where are Pike and Kirk?"

_Chris_

"What the… ?" Chris opened his eyes; he was still in the Icarus. He did a quick assessment of himself before looking to the blonde in the co-pilot's seat. "J. Jamie, wake up." Chris unstrapped himself from the seat and moved closer to his wife, "J."

"Not so loud, Chris." She had a gash on her head and blood trickling down her face. From what he could tell the laceration wasn't deep. "Where are we?" He glanced at the console; they had crashed on an unnamed M-class planet.

"On a planet without a name, wanna give it one?" he asked.

She chuckled, "Name it 'Pike' or something. I'm going to run a diagnostic, see how bad it is." Jamie hit the appropriate codes into the console and unstrapped herself. She slowly stood up and made her way to the rear of the shuttle to get a damage assessment. Chris opened the hatch and stepped outside, the air was a little thinner than earth's but that seemed to be the worst of it.

"Well, I have good news and bad news," she said as she stepped out of the shuttle behind him, wiping the blood from her head with a cloth. "The good news is that I can fix this, the bad news is that it'll take me a few days. I doubt whoever just brought us down is going to wait that long, we have a few hours, a day tops."

Chris nodded, "Do what you can. Comms?"

"Nothing. The emergency beacon is operational but with hostiles…" She didn't need to finish her statement, if they turned it on, anyone in the area would know where they were, not just Starfleet. "Could be worse. Least we're together." Chris couldn't help but smile at that.

"Nobody I'd rather be stranded with, sweetheart."

_Phil_

"Aye, laddie. You might be onta somethin'," Scott said.

Phil was listening as the engineer, Kelso, Spock, Shran, communications officer Nana, and One were trying to figure out where their captain and his wife ended up. When she found out that the message was fake, One pulled him and Shran into the captain's ready room and relayed all the information she had. Shran recommended that they bring Scott in and Scott suggested that Jamie's friends would be helpful as well. Spock was working with Nana to figure out where the subspace communication came from, Kelso was working with Scott and Shran to figure out where they ended up. Their other friend, Mitchell, was at the helm.

"Nana, what I'm about to tell you doesn't leave the room..." One started but the younger woman held up her hand.

"Ma'am, if you're about to tell me that they're married, most of the crew already knows. We just don't say anything. She served on this ship as a civilian and on the Lovell. Kirk saved a lot of lives, she's a hero. The captain just wants people to treat her as fairly as possible. Which isn't easy to begin with because of her dad. We get it, we have too much respect for her to discount who she is because she's the CO's wife. She earned her stripes, that's all that matters to us." One nodded. She should have realized that even though they didn't tell a lot of people, the observant members of the crew would have figured it out. Phil remembered one of his cadet's asking about it, he said that he didn't know and even if he did, he couldn't say.

"We have located the signal," Spock spoke from his seat across from Phil. "The communication to the ship originated from the IKS Varchas." One, Boyce, Nana, Scott and Shran all looked at each other. Shran was not happy.

 

"Kaaj!" the Andorian growled.

Kelso looked confused, "What's a Kaaj."

"He's a Klingon that we stopped from starting a war in the Marrat Nebula, he hates Starfleet and in particular, Pike. Swore a blood debt against him," the doctor told the young man. "Now that we know who, we need to figure out where before he kills Pike and Kirk."

_Jamie_

"J, we have incoming," Chris called. She looked up from where she was working to find a team of Klingons headed their way. They couldn't beam them up –remember to thank Scotty for that short-range transporter disruptor he had been tinkering with- so they had to come looking for them on foot. "

Friends of yours, sweetheart?"

Chris chuckled, "Long story. Think we can take 'em?" She did a quick assessment; there were six armed Klingons closing fast. Realistically, they could do it if they moved fast enough. Chris handed her a phase rifle, "Stay in here and wait until they're closer. Their CO isn't here which means they won't kill me... I hope. You'll know when to strike. I love you," he gave her a kiss.

"I love you too. Let's do this."

Chris stepped outside as the Klingons got closer while Jamie held her position right inside the hatch. She could hear some of what they were saying and because she spoke Klingon, she understood the stuff that Chris didn't. When the guy in charge gave the order to kill Chris and destroy the shuttle, she pounced. She moved from cover and shot three of the Klingons before they realized what was going on. Chris hit the two closest to him while she dropped the last one. All of a sudden, a blast hit the shuttle, Jamie was thanking her lucky stars that she wasn't in it but that also meant that they could be beamed up. Another blast hit the rock formation to her right, she looked at Chris but before either of them could say anything, they were being beamed out.

"Scotty, I could kiss you!" she told the engineer as she and Chris materialized in transporter room one on the Yorktown.

"Don't think he'd like that, lass. I'll settle for a sandwich from that place you love in Iowa," her Scottish friend told her.

"Deal," she said as she and Chris ran past him, Boyce trailing behind the couple. The doctor was trying to check them both over.

"Not now, Phil!" they said in unison. They went right to the bridge.

"Captain on the bridge," Gary called from the helm.

"It is good to you, sir, lieutenant," One said to them as she got out of the command chair. Chris nodded and instructed the officer at tactical to let Jamie take over the station, kid hopped up like his ass was on fire.

"Alright, Kaaj. Let's see what you're made of," Chris said with a growl.

_Chris_

Chris was exhausted when he walked into his quarters after a trip to medical. Boyce had pulled him off the duty roster until they got back to earth in a few days, Jamie too. He was shocked that Kaaj retreated, the Yorktown dealt out a lot of damage to his ship but he figured they would fight to the death, this was something Chris never saw coming. He ordered Jamie to head to sickbay after the bridge settled down, while he talked to HQ. Barnett was relieved to see that they were okay and told him that Charlie was fine aside from worrying about his kids.

Chris stopped short when he walked into the bedroom; Jamie was asleep in his bed. He wasn't surprised when One told him that most of the crew knew who she was to him, what did surprise him was the respect they showed her as an officer. He'd seen situations where officers were only respected -or disrespected- because their spouse/family member was a high ranking officer. His crew held respect for her that had nothing to do with him. It made him proud, both as her husband and as their captain.

Chris took a quick shower and slid into bed with his wife. She turned to face him, kissed his neck, mumbled, 'I love you," and went back to sleep. He held her to his chest, "Love you more."

_May 2254_

_Jamie_

Three years. Three years of classes, close calls, experiments, hard work, jealous classmates and idiot instructors all comes to an end today.

"Jamie!" She turned and saw Gary standing with his parents; she moved to join them. "Mom, dad, this is my friend Jamie. Excuse me, Lieutenant. Doctor Jamison Kirk. Jamie, my parents, Dana and Tom Mitchell." Jamie offered her hand when Misses Mitchell pulled her into a hug.

"We've heard a lot about you, nice to finally meet you." She looked to Gary for help but he just shrugged.

"Mom's a hugger, should've seen her with Lee," he chuckled.

"Where is Kelso?" He nodded behind her.

"Over there introducing his mom to Spock and Lady Amanda. Hey mom, dad want to meet another friend before we have to head in?"

This place was full but Jamie spotted her family right away. Chris and Charlie were standing with other fleet personnel, she saw Scott, Shran, Boyce and One were there too. Hobelia, Cody and Zane were sitting with the civilians. Kelso's mother, Lynn, Lady Amanda, Sybok(?) and the Mitchell's were seated in front of them.

There were too many students to name them all but those who graduated with honors were singled out, lowest honors to highest. The Commandant of Cadets read the list of cum laude, magna cum laude and summa cum laude graduates; that's where Lee and Gary ranked.

"Lieutenant Lee Kelso, Navigation, USS Yorktown." He was sixth overall.

"Lieutenant Gary Mitchell, Helm, USS Farragut." Came in at fifth overall.

Finally, the four students who made egregia cum laude, otherwise known as outstanding honors, were announced.

"Lieutenant Doctor Jamison Kirk, Tactical and Engineering, USS Farragut." Second overall with a twelfth of a point difference, she tried to catch him, but his brain moved faster than hers.

"Lieutenant Spock, Computer Programming, Xenolinguistics and Astrophysics, USS Yorktown." Top of the class and first overall.

Take that! _'Guess it pays to be the outcasts and their friends,'_ Jamie thought to herself. The shock on some of the instructors' faces told her that they were not expecting her to make it, let alone be second in the class behind a Vulcan. Idiots. The smiles on Archer and Barnett's faces were blinding, the pair was sitting on the stage, the older admiral locked eyes with her and mouthed "Good job, kid." She smiled at him as the Class of 2254 was dismissed.

As soon as everyone managed to make their way out of the auditorium, Jamie found herself pulled into a bone crushing hug.

"Kick ass, Jimmy. They'd all be proud." She didn't have to ask who Cody meant. Before she could get free of her cousin, Zane hugged them both. With a kiss to each of her cheeks, they let her go. She ended up being hugged by everyone she knew; Sybok was even decent. He gave her a hug and congratulated her without being overly flirtatious, might have been the glares the guys sent his way.

Jamie and Spock shocked the hell out of everyone, especially Spock's family, when they hugged each other. Amanda had tears in her eyes when she thanked Jamie, Gary, and Lee for being friends with her son. It almost made Jamie cry. That was when Phlox found them and gave Jamie a hug, " _I know Captain Garrovick. He's a good officer, you'll do well serving with him. Outstanding CO._ "

That was the only downside to all this, they were being split up. She and Gary were going to the Farragut, where they did their last training tour. Spock and Lee were heading to the Yorktown. Even Finney was leaving the academy, he was going back to the fleet but she didn't know where. Eventually, they had to go their separate ways. They agreed to meet up before they left. The Farragut was due to leave in a few weeks, the Yorktown was leaving a few weeks after that. Until then, she and Scotty had work to do -and some sandwiches to eat- in Iowa.


	15. Chapter 15

_Chris_

"Christopher," Jamie practically purred sending tingles through his body.

"You do that on purpose, don't you?" he asked.

She whispered, "Yes," in his ear before kissing his neck. He opened his eyes and looked up at her, she was straddling him.

"Hey," he said with a chuckle before he flipped them both over so that he was on top of her, pinning her to the bed.

"Hmm. No fair, Christopher."

"Do you want to know what's not fair, beautiful?" he whispered in her ear, his voice rough from sleep. "You. The way you look, the way you taste, the way you smell, the way every inch of your beautiful body feels against mine and the way you sound when you say my name. All I want to do is keep you in this bed. I don't know which is worse, you like this or you in that damn uniform dress. Do you know how many times I've dreamed about us in the chair? That, my love, is not fair." She looked up at him with her bright blue eyes.

"Sex in the command chair is such a Captain thing to dream about, sweetheart?" Chris chuckled and kissed her. He ran his hands along her sides and pressed his body against hers. He would go just far enough and then pull back. "Chris…," he could hear the need and want in her voice, had her and she knew it. Jamie's eyes were filled with love and lust, he was driving her insane. Chris pulled away again, and then he slid into her. "Oh my God."

He was deliberately moving slowly; watching his wife as the tension built. He kissed her neck, along her jaw and her lips. As they moved together, she begged him to move faster between kisses. He began to pick up speed, she was so close to falling apart, and he was pushing her further and further. "Chris…" He locked his eyes with hers and changed the angle of his movements. It sent her spiraling over the edge; she pulled him over with her.

Chris touched his forehead to hers, "You okay?" She didn't speak, just nodded; her body still trembling in his arms. Chris made a move to get up but Jamie held on to him, refusing to let go. Chris rolled them over so that Jamie was lying across his chest; running one hand through her hair and the other hand along her spine, "Wanna tell me what's going through that beautiful brain of yours, J."

"I should mess with you more often," she chuckled. "I'm also thinking about how much I love you," she whispered against his chest. "Sometimes it hits me so hard that I can't… I don't know what I'd do if..."

Chris chuckled, "I know the feeling." He truly did, there was a time right after the Lovell was destroyed when he thought he might never see her again. Every part of him hurt, he couldn't breathe... Chris felt like he was going to die. He didn't know where she was or if she was okay. Chris was sure that he scared those closest to them when he shut down. If it wasn't for Hobelia and Zane holding them all together, he doesn't know what would have happened.

Now, she was leaving again but it was different, she wasn't a civilian or in training, she was an officer. Chris finally understood what she said to him when he was on the Lake. She was sixteen, he was talking to her over comm and before they hung up, she said, " _Too bad I'm here. It feels like my heart is light years away_." He tried to get her assigned to the Yorktown but Garrovick, as one of her instructors, beat him to the punch. He was lucky to get Spock and Kelso.

He held her tighter, "Come back to me, J."

"Always."

_November 2254_

_Jamie_

"'Cause it's too cooooooold, for you here... and now, so let me hooooooold, both your hands in... the holes of my sweater…" Jamie rolled her eyes and cut him off.

"Gary, no." This was her fault; Jamie loved that song and since she and Gary spent so much time together –the Gamma shift badasses- he had heard it while they were hanging out. "That's going to be stuck in my head all shift. I don't think Commander Chenowyth would like it too much if we burst into song on the bridge."

Commander Art Chenowyth was the Farragut's XO who often took Gamma shift instead of Beta. Jamie liked him; he was a good officer who was always teaching them things. Apparently, he liked her as well, he had heard about her turn at the Kobayashi Maru test –everybody heard about it- and was impressed that she had beaten the test. There were those who thought she cheated –and she ended up in front of the board, again- but the admiralty awarded her a commendation for her original thinking. When Gary, Lee and Spock asked her how and why, she simply stated that she didn't believe in no-win situations. Even though she thinks it needs work, she did defend the idea of the test, _"how we face death is at least as important as how we face life."_

The shift was going much as they always do, until Jamie's screen lit up, "Sir, I'm reading multiple warp signatures on an intercept course." Chenowyth looked at her, "Can you I.D. them, Kirk?"

"No known configuration, sir... I have a fourth ship... five, six ships. I think we're looking at pirates, sir." Chenowyth ordered the red alert as Jamie and Mitchell registered the targets locking weapons.

Gary notified the XO, "They're preparing to fire, sir." Garrovick entered the bridge and took the command chair, Chenowyth moved to one of the engineering stations on the bridge.

"Kirk, prepare to return fire at will. Mitchell, evasive maneuvers," their captain ordered.

"Aye, sir." Jamie had a feeling that this wasn't going to end well.

_Chris_

"I'm fine. My leg is a mess but nothing that can't be fixed. I'll be back to fighting shape in a few days. This isn't any worse than the stuff you pull. Besides, I saved the ship. Chenowyth said, and I quote, 'Lieutenant Kirk is a fine young officer who performed with uncommon bravery.' It's going in my file. Can you believe that?" Chris couldn't help but smile at his wife. She was banged up, her ship was at Starbase Seven getting emergency repairs but she was still smiling.

"You know, you're going to give me gray hairs, J."

She laughed, "You already have a few. I think it looks good on you though."

He shook his head and smiled, "You would."

"Well, I do have this thing for older men."

"Men?" he asked.

She chuckled, "Well, just one. He's handsome, smart, brave and he cares about others. I love him so much it hurts."

"Well I love you more. I'll prove it to you when you get back."

_May 2255_

_Charlie_

"Was it something I said?" Jamie bolted out of the room like a bat outta hell. Cody offered to check on her, Boyce close behind them. It was the first time that Charlie had seen Chris and Jamie at the same time in almost a year, they had both been out in the black. The Yorktown had shorter tours while the Farragut was out for ten months, the only reason they came back was for repairs that couldn't be done at a space station.

Chris had accepted a job at Starfleet Academy and was due to begin when the next class was picked up. With the Farragut in dock, Jamie was working on the new flagship with Scotty. They named it Enterprise. Starfleet gave the public some good sounding official reasons for the name but Jamie told the family that she and Archer did it for Hoshi.

The rest of the 'kids' were doing well. One was promoted to Captain of the Yorktown and named Shran as her first officer. Cody was working as a lawyer for kids while Zane continued his research with Starfleet, turning down every colony they threw at him. Spock and Lee stayed on the Yorktown and Mitchell was flying diplomats around. It made Charlie happy to see his family doing so well, even when they look like crap.

"You alright, kiddo?" he asked. Jamie sat down next to Chris and Boyce handed her a glass of water.

"Drink that," the doctor told her. Hobelia gave her a knowing look and smiled.

"How far?"

_Chris_

"What?" Chris looked at his wife, "How far for what?"

"Five weeks according to the scan Phil just did,"  Jamie muttered. His step-mom squealed like a schoolgirl and pulled Jamie into a hug. The guys had no idea what was going on.

"Phil, help us out," Chris said to his friend.

"Give her a second," Phil said, "She'll tell you. The rest of us should clear out after she does." Chris looked at his wife and waited. She took a deep breath.

"I wasn't sure this could even happen and usually we're careful but then I guess we weren't and... I... I'm pregnant." A baby. She just said that they were going to have a baby. "I know we didn't exactly plan this and I have no idea what to do because I didn't really have a mom and... Chris, please say something." He hadn't realized that he was staring at her. Jamie had tears in her eyes and Chris was sure she was terrified.

"I… we're…" He didn't have the words, so, he kissed her. He was going to be a father; Jamie was going to be a mother. How the hell did he get do lucky?

"Alright, dude. Can we hug Jimmy before you keep her to yourself?" Chris nodded at Cody who pulled her into a hug. "I told you, you're going to be a great mama, just you wait."

That night after everybody cleared out and they went to bed, Chris watched her as she slept. There was no outward indication that she was different but there was a glow. He couldn't help but smile when Jamie snuggled closer to him, "I love you, both of you."

_August 2255_

_Jamie_

"Lass, get down before you hurt yourself or the wee one." This was beginning to annoy the crap out of her, she's not an invalid. She could still do things while pregnant, if she was further along she would understand but she was only eighteen weeks and the morning sickness was gone. For the first time in a while, she felt good.

"Piss off, Monty," she said to her friend. She loved Scotty. He was the crazy older brother that every engineer wishes they had but lately, he was being super over-protective. Jamie knew that it was because of the baby but she was at the end of her rope. Between Chris, Cody, Zane, Hobelia, Phil and Scotty it was getting to be a bit much. Charlie was the only one who was on her side, " _women work while pregnant all the time, she's not even showing, leave her be._ "

"Lass, I don't want yer husband to have my arse, it's bad enough tha we're working late. Now, get down. Don't make me pull rank," he didn't order her but it was damn close. Jamie rolled her eyes.

"Fine, you finish it. I'm going to grab something to eat. I might bring you a sandwich... I might eat it myself, we'll see."

The bar at Riverside Shipyard was about the only place to get good food, including sandwiches. Jamie entered and spotted some of the people she and Scotty worked with. She waved and headed to the bar.

"Hey, Cliff." The bartender looked at her and smiled.

"The usual?" She nodded as he put in her food order and gave her a ginger ale. Jamie was people watching when she heard a young cadet rattle off an impressive list of drinks.

"That's a lot of drinks for one person."

The girl chuckled, "That's rich coming from someone drinking ginger ale." Jamie moved closer to the cadet.

"Don't drink, here for the food. I'm Jamie. And you are…?" The cadet rolled her eyes.

"Uhura."

"What are you studying?" Jamie was curious, the girl –Uhura- looked and her.

"Xenolinguistics, you have no idea what that means, do you?" Jamie smiled, not the first time someone thought she was a dumb blonde.

"The study of alien languages; morphology, phonology and syntax. Means you've got a talented tongue, Uhura."

"Here, I thought all you townies were just having sex with your cousins."

Jamie laughed, "I'm not a townie, I had family that used to live here, but San Fran is home. And you just gave me the worst visual, my cousin is like my big brother. So, eww." Before Uhura could say anything, these idiot cadets came over and started to hassle them. She was fine until one grabbed her arm. "I'm going to tell you once to get your hand off of me, cadet. I'm the last person you want to mess with right now."

He laughed, "Oh yea, why is that?" He didn't see Chris come in.

"Because you'll have to deal with me," the captain told the cadet. Every cadet in the room went to attention. "You good, Lieutenant?" The shock on their faces was hilarious.

"Yes, sir. I guess they never thought that some of the people in the bar on fleet property would be in the fleet. I think that shows a lack of intellect and judgment, sir," she said.

"I think you might be right, Lieutenant. All of you, outside. Now." They ran past Chris, even the civilians. Uhura whispered a quick thanks and followed the others. "What are you doing in here?" Jamie picked up the bag on the counter next to her.

"Food."

Chris nodded, "Go eat and get some sleep, we leave at oh-eight hundred." Jamie gave him a quick kiss.

"Don't be too mean to the idiots. I might wait up for you."

_Leonard_

How the hell did he end up on a shuttle heading to San Francisco? Oh yea, it was the crazy bitch's fault. Making his way from the bathroom –this officer is hot but she might kill me- he found to the only empty seat, it was next to a girl in her early twenties wearing jeans, boots, a t-shirt and a leather jacket.

"I might throw up on you," he grumbled.

She smiled, "These things are pretty safe and Pike's a good pilot."

He huffed, "don't pander to me, kid. One tiny crack in the hull and our blood boils in thirteen seconds. A solar flare might crop up, cook us in our seats. And while you're sitting pretty with a case of Andorian shingles, see if you're still so relaxed when your eyeballs are bleeding. Space is disease and danger, wrapped in darkness and silence." Idiot kids wanting to get out and see the universe, they have no idea of all the stuff out there ready to kill them. She laughed, why was she laughing?

"I was born in space and I turned out just fine, mostly. I hate to break it to you but Starfleet operates in space," she said. He looked at the kid.

"Yeah, well... I've got nowhere else to go, the ex wife took the whole damn planet in the divorce. All I've got left is my bones." She gave him a look, not pity but close to it.

"I'm Jamie Kirk," she introduced herself. He knew that name but he couldn't place it.

"McCoy. Leonard McCoy."

"So, McCoy. Leonard McCoy. What kind of doctor are you? I'm double PhD," Jamie said. He wasn't expecting that.

"Trauma surgeon. I do a little psychology work too. What kind of doctorates do you have?" Leonard asked the girl.

"Engineering and Warp-physics. Might get another one but I haven't decided yet." He nodded and the action made him queasy. She smiled, "Here, eat this." she handed him a piece of ginger candy.

"Why are you carrying…?" She slowly shook her head. Whatever the reason, she didn't want people to know. He gave her a once over, as much as he could in their seats.

"You won't figure it out looking at me, I might tell you one day." Leonard wasn't sure why he liked this kid but he did. Maybe it was the fact that she kept talking to him, keeping his mind off every detail of this flight to San Francisco. "We're here, you wanna see?" Jamie pointed out the viewport. There were shuttles everywhere and this place was huge. The shuttle docked and Captain Pike gave them the okay to get out. The cadets unbuckled and got up. Leonard was having a hard time. Jamie got out of her seat and stood in front of him to help. When he was unbuckled, she helped him stand.

"You got him?" Captain Pike asked as he walked from the cockpit.

"Yes, sir," she answered. Once outside, Leonard went to stand with the other cadets. Pike was standing in front of the group and, for some reason, Jamie was standing off to the side. Pike got his attention.

"Doctor McCoy, you still have some stuff to fill out. Lieutenant Kirk?"

Jamie nodded, "I'll take care of it, sir." She's an officer? "Let's go, doc. Don't forget, dinner at Admiral Archer's, sir." Pike nodded as they made their way past him. He kept looking at her and she smiled.

"Go ahead," she told him.

"You're an officer?" he asked.

"Yes, I'm an officer. Don't worry about it, happens all the time. I pretty sure it has something to do with my refusal to wear a full uniform at the shipyard," she paused. "So, here's what's gonna happen. HQ will want you fill out some stuff and take a test. Nothing too bad, Bones."

He raised an eyebrow, "Bones?"

"'All I got left are my bones.' It suits you. Here we are. I'll get you set up with the clerks," she said as they arrived at the administration building. True to her word, she got him everything he needed before leaving him with the barracks officer. "Later, Bones. Maybe I'll see you around."


	16. Chapter 16

_September 2255_

_Jamie_

"Alright, everyone. That is it for the first day of the year." Jamie had just wrapped up her last class of the day. Her schedule was simple, Federation History on Monday and Wednesday and Philosophy on Tuesday and Thursday. She was only teaching this semester since she was due in January. Apparently, this was everyone's way of keeping her busy until then. She was still working on the Enterprise but now it was from a distance, she did the brain work while Scotty was doing the legwork. She could admit to herself that it was nice but she wasn't going to tell Chris. Jamie was never one to sit still. She'd been going at full speed her whole life. Her head was enjoying some downtime, even though her body was itching to do something. Making her way though campus, Jamie spotted a familiar face heading in her direction.

"Spock, what are you doing here?" The last she checked, the Yorktown was out in the black.

"I was tasked with reprogramming the Kobayashi Maru examination in an effort to prevent a repeat of your actions in the future. I am also instructing multiple courses." She couldn't help but snicker, because of her they were going to change the test. Spock continued to watch her.

"If you need some help, let me know. I'm starting to get restless," she told him.

"Due to your pregnancy?" he asked.

She answered him with a quick, "Yay, everybody is babying me."

"I would not attempt to 'baby' you. You are fully aware of your limitations and will request assistance if needed. Your help would be… appreciated."

Jamie smiled, "That's why I love you, my logical friend."

_Leonard_

Because he was a doctor already, they had him working in the emergency room at Starfleet medical. He didn't mind since it meant he wasn't surrounded by idiot kids all day. The bright and sunny attitudes that they all seemed to have was really getting on his nerves, at least here he worked with people who weren't so eager to run into the black. He was almost done with his shift when he heard a familiar voice.

"We meet again," she said. Leonard looked up from the PADD he was reading to find Jamie Kirk leaning on the counter in front of him in her black instructor's uniform. "I tripped and I'm pretty sure my ankle doesn't like me right now. Think you can take a look?" He sat the PADD down, helped her to an exam room and sat her on a bio bed.

"How the hell did you do this, ma'am?" he asked.

She chuckled, "I wasn't paying attention. And you don't have to call me ma'am, Jamie is fine." He nodded as he slid the boot off her foot.

"Anything I need to know about, Jamie?" the doctor asked.

"I have an allergy to Retinax V and I'm twenty-one weeks pregnant," the officer told him. Leonard nodded, that explains the ginger candy. Jocelyn's morning sickness was so bad that she lived off ginger during her first trimester and for part of her second. Before he could ask anything else, Captain Pike entered the room. Jamie rolled her eyes, "I told them _not_ to comm you. I'm fine. I just tripped, happens to the best of us. Bones was about to fix me up." Leonard looked at the two officers as Pike gave her a kiss. Jamie smirked, "We're married, have been for almost five years. No, it's not public knowledge." That explained the familiarity between the two, even when they are being professional, he could tell that they were close.

Leonard did a scan with the tricorder, "OK, it's a medium sprain. Half an hour under the regen and it'll be good as new. Your iron is a little low, I'll give you something for that. Baby is doing just fine."

"See, Chris, no big deal. Me and junior are just fine," she said. "Now go back to whatever it is you were doing."

"Can't blame a man for worrying over his family. You aren't exactly cautious, J," Captain Pike said with a chuckle. To Leonard, it sounded like a conversation that they've had before. Jamie opened her mouth to speak but Leonard spoke up first.

"Not trying to listen to your conversation or anything but she knows what she can and can't do. It's a mom thing. I tried to coddle my ex-wife when she was pregnant and all it did was stress her out." Jamie smiled but he looked at her and continued. "He loves you and worries about both of you. I was terrified the whole time my ex was pregnant. All I wanted to do was wrap her in a bubble and keep everything away. He's coming from a good place. Just something for you both to think about. I'll be back in a little while." Leonard had set her up on the regenerator and left the two officers in the room.

_Jamie_

"Kevin?" Jamie was shocked to see the little boy she once knew walking into her lecture hall, all grown up, "I talked to you three weeks ago, why didn't you tell me you were joining Starfleet?"

He laughed, "Wanted it to be a surprise." Jamie pulled him into a hug. Ever since Cody had gotten her his contact information, Jamie and Kevin talked to each other a few times a month. She was proud to learn that he had done well in school and was accepted into the academy at 16 years old. Kevin's focus was navigation, but he had an above average knowledge of engineering as well. The conversation carried on as Jamie got her belongings together. "How's mini-you?"

Jamie laughed, "Good. Kid kicks like me." She was a little sad and Kevin must've noticed.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"I'm scared that I'm going to do something to mess it all up." Jamie wasn't just scared, she was terrified. Never having her mom around, Jamie was worried that she was going to damage her child's life. She hadn't really talked about it with anybody other than Cody, who kept telling her to talk to Chris, she wasn't sure why she told Kevin. He agreed with Cody

"You should talk to Chris. And if it means anything, I think you'll be a good mom, took care of me and the others just fine, still do." It brought a smile to her face that he thought she could do it. Walking through campus, Kevin spotted two of his friends heading to class; a tall Asian guy and a thin kid with curly hair. He told Jamie –sorry, Lieutenant Kirk- that he would see her later and ran to join his friends.

"They grow up so fast."

_October 2255_

_Cody_

"Hey, Jimmy. Who's your friend?" Cody entered his cousin's condo to find her sitting with a guy he didn't recognize.

"Cody this is Leonard, he's a friend, a doctor and a grouch." Jamie laughed as her friend scowled at her, "Bones, my cousin Cody." Cody nodded; he was defiantly a grouch.

"Have you seen the news today?" Cody asked carefully. Jamie shook her head and grabbed a PADD.

"Oh my God! I better comm Chris." She left the room. The headline of the day was about Jamie, 'Jamison Kirk, the Kelvin Baby Expecting.' It wouldn't have been so bad except talk about the baby's father painted Jamie as a whore, naming friends, classmates, fellow crew members and Cody himself –that's just wrong- as the father. They even went as far as to say that she didn't know who it was. Her friend, Leonard, shook his head.

"Her wedding ring is plain as day, all these idiots had to do was ask Starfleet," Leonard groaned. He was right, they wouldn't give up Chris' name but they would confirm that Jamie had been married since before she joined up, hell, she attended the academy as a married woman. Jamie came back into the room with a bottle of whiskey and two glasses.

"Jimmy, you can't…" Cody started. She held up her hand.

"I know I can't drink, but I need one. So, you two are going to have to drink for me," she told the two men. Cody laughed but sat down next to her and wrapped an arm around her. Jamie rested her head on his shoulder just as her communicator beeped, Leonard handed it to her. "Kirk," she answered. It was Doctor Phlox and he was not happy, apparently, he wasn't the only one and told her to watch the press conference that was starting in ten minutes.

Admiral Archer is PISSED! If you didn't know the man, you wouldn't notice but Cody knew him well enough to see it. On the screen, Archer began his speech. "I'm going to make this quick. Recently, it was reported that Doctor Jamison Kirk, a Starfleet lieutenant and the daughter of the late Lieutenant Commander George Kirk, is expecting her first child. I am here to confirm that is, in fact, true. I am also here to put to bed the libelous rumors that name multiple men as the child's father and that Lieutenant Kirk doesn't know who he is. That couldn't be further from the truth. The lieutenant has been happily married since before she joined Starfleet, her husband is the father. I ask that you refrain from releasing anymore unconfirmed information. Kirk is an extraordinary officer who is among the best of the fleet. She doesn't deserve the baseless accusations against her character. I would also ask that you allow the couple their privacy."

Before Archer could get away, a reporter yelled the million credit question, "Who's her husband?" Archer took a breath and returned to where he was standing.

"The lieutenant's husband doesn't wish to be publicly identified. Since you upset his pregnant wife, be glad you don't know who he is, because he's not happy." With that, he ended the press conference.

"Man, I 'm glad he's on our side, cuz. That old dude is scary."

_December 2255_

_Chris_

"Sir, Jim is in labor." Chris closed the comm with McCoy, got a yeoman to get his class covered and sprinted out of the building. Getting to Starfleet Medical, he was relieved to see his dad there already.

"Hobelia is with her now. So is that doc she likes. McCoy, right?" Charlie asked. Chris nodded. This was a little earlier then they expected, Jamie was at thrity-nine weeks; perfectly safe according to Boyce, Phlox and McCoy. He figured that it would be okay to attend a meeting before starting his leave; their little one apparently disagreed. Chris told his dad to comm Cody and Gary before he made his way to his wife.

"You're doing good, Jamie," he heard his step-mom say.

"Chris," Jamie saw him enter the room. Hobelia got up, kissed them both on the head and made her way out of the room, Chris took the spot she vacated.

"Hey beautiful, you ready?"

She chuckled, "Don't have much choice. It's just like your kid to want out early." Chris laughed until a contraction hit Jamie and she grabbed his hand.

"You in pain?" he asked. She shook her head.

"No, it's just pressure. Bones gave me a hypo... don't worry Phlox said it was safe for the baby. I feel a little spoiled having all these awesome doctors keeping an eye on me." Since the day she'd sprained her ankle, Jamie and McCoy –Jamie is the only one allowed to call him Bones- started a friendship. She forced him to do things, dragged him to lunch or had him over for dinner. She had even had him over for Christmas since he didn't go home. She didn't like the idea of him being alone for the holiday. It made Chris laugh to think that she thought she was going to be a bad mother. She doesn't even realize how many people she takes care of.

She sat him down and told him about her feeling that she's going to fail and how everyone hovering around, telling her what to do only made the feeling worse. She said it felt like being told you aren't good enough to do something but instead of replacing you, you get micromanaged instead. He could understand what she meant, so he promised that he would ease off as long as she kept talking to him. His dad smirked when he told everyone what she said, " _I told you to leave her be._ "

"Alright, Jim. I'm going to need you to push," McCoy said from between Jamie's legs. Chris wasn't going to think about it, he really wasn't. This was a side of the southern doctor Chris had never seen. He wasn't being grouchy or cynical, this was the nice version of himself that Jamie pulled to the surface. It took time but Jamie pushed and pushed. Chris spent the whole time whispering in her ear how great she was doing and how much he loved her. McCoy looked up, "Okay, one really big push, Jim. You got this." One big push and their little one was here.

Nothing in the universe mattered when he saw the little person that was a mix of Jamie and himself. He was sitting behind her on the bed with his arms around her. McCoy smiled as he handed them the baby, "Congrats Jim, Chris."

"Hey, little one," she whispered.

_Charlie_

The waiting room was full of people. Cody and Zane got there before he had a chance to comm them. Spock, Gary, Scotty and little –not so little anymore- Kevin came in soon after that. Charlie wasn't surprised to see the look on Chris' face when he walked out into the hallway with a little bundle in his arms. it was priceless.

"How's Jamie?" His son didn't look up from his child.

"She's tired but good, the nurses are getting her cleaned up but she figured that you guys were all waiting to meet the baby," Chris answered.

"Does the baby have a name?" his wife asked from next to him. Hobelia was curious, they all were. Chris didn't even pick the name, he promised Jamie that she could. Charlie knew that she found out the gender weeks ago but she kept it and the name under wraps.

Chris chuckled, "Yes, the baby has a name. Everyone meet my son, Charles George Pike."


	17. Chapter 17

_January 2256_

_Hobelia_

He was the cutest little thing she had ever seen. Baby Charlie was a spitting image of his dad with the exception of having his mother's bright blue eyes. At the moment, he was being held by Spock, who was sitting next to a napping Jamie on the couch. The young Vulcan seemed to have taken a liking to the small child and was often whispering to him in his native language. When none of them could figure out what Spock was talking about, Jamie just smiled, " _he's telling Baby Charlie about Vulcan history_ ". A few days after they got home, Jamie managed to take a holo of Spock almost smiling at the baby and sent it to his mother.

It had been an interesting month to say the least. Jamie and Baby Charlie spent three days in the hospital, before being released. They didn't know how, but someone had gotten word that she gave birth so there were tons of people trying to see her and the baby. The reporters outside the hospital made getting Jamie and little Charlie out a covert operation; Spock had come up with a simple solution, use the transporter; all it took was a comm. to Admiral Archer. Jamie and baby were beamed up to a ship and then beamed to their condo where Cody and Zane were waiting; Kevin stopped by after class.

Admiral Archer also released a statement on Jamie's behalf; Hobelia wondered why he didn't just let P.R. handle it. Jamie told her that because he released the statements himself, no one would be dumb enough to print anything else; the man is scary when he's upset. She watched the old admiral confirm that Jamie gave birth to a healthy baby boy on December thirtieth . That was all he told the reporters.

This month also saw Jamie turn twenty-three. Instead of a party, Cody and Zane told Chris to take her somewhere and they would babysit. Of course the new mom argued but she was outnumbered. Chris took her out to one place none of them would have guessed, Riverside Shipyard. They came home with a huge smiles and covered in grease. Everyone gave Chris a look but he just shrugged, " _I know my wife_." Hobelia was pulled from her thoughts when she heard Chris quietly laugh.

"Ever thought about having kids, Spock?" her son asked.

The Vulcan looked up from Charlie, "I have not."

"You would be a good dad," Hobelia added. Jamie, who woke at Chris' laugh spoke before her friend could.

"Leave Uncle Spock alone. He'll live a lot longer than we will, he has time," Jamie said.

_February 2256_

_Jamie_

"Jamison, there is a student I wish to introduce you to. While I am aware that you are no longer assigned to the academy, I believe it would be beneficial for this cadet to speak with you." Jamie had returned to active duty a few days ago, officially, she was working on the Enterprise again but, unofficially, she had been working with Spock; their new Kobayashi Maru exam was going live in September.

Jamie agreed to meet with the cadet that Spock told her about and found herself sitting across from Kevin's curly haired friend, Pavel Chekov. The fifteen year old Russian was the second youngest cadet in the history of Starfleet; like her and Kevin, he was command track with a knack for engineering. The kid talked a thousand miles an hour and Jamie was glad she spoke Russian because he switched languages on her a few times. He reminded her so much of herself at that age.

Being in a school with so many people who were older then you meant that there were those who took their insecurities out on you. One guy got in her face at Berkeley expecting her to back down; she gave him a black eye when he went too far. Before he could do anything else, Zane stepped in, " _Not only is she younger and smarter then you, she throws a mean right jab._ " Chekov was having a similar issue, one of his classmates hacked the system to his dorm. They locked the door and flooded his room, with him in it. Jamie would have offered to help but he insisted on finding the culprit himself. Jamie had agreed to help him out if he needed it, " _My advisor was good, but I learned so much from interacting with other officers."_

"Can I ask you a question, ma'am?" the cadet asked. He continued when she nodded, "Why didn't you join Starfleet sooner? You worked for them, but you could have joined when you were younger?" It was a question that Jamie answered a lot when she was in the academy.

"I didn't want to do what everyone expected me to do. When I joined Starfleet, it was because I was ready to, not because everybody was waiting for me to. You're brilliant, Pavel, don't ever let others decide your future."

_April 2256_

_Leonard_

What the hell was he doing here? It's not like Pike to order him to do anything, ever. For some reason he had been told by the captain to show up at the Pike residence that night, it was a pain because all he wanted to do was go get a drink. Leonard didn't get a chance to knock when the door opened, "Hey, McCoy."

"Sir," that earned him a frown Pike.

"I told you that you didn't have to call me that in my home, I meant it," the captain said. Could he make up his damn mind? He was the person that ordered him here. Before he could ask, he heard a very girly squeal coming from the nursery. Pike just smiled, "Go on back." Leonard looked at the captain and made his way to the youngest Pike's room.

"Jim," he knocked on the door before opening it.

"DADDY!" Leonard was almost knocked over by the little girl that was so like him. How was she here? Jim smiled from her seat next to the crib, as little Charlie gurgled.

"How did you…?" he asked. His friend chuckled as she stood with the baby in her arms.

"I happen to have a good lawyer in the family and Chris is friends with the new deputy Judge Advocate General of the fleet. After you told me what happened with your ex in court, I asked Cody to take a look. Nobody should be forced out of their child's life, growing up without parents sucked," Jim told him.

It was on Christmas when he spilled his guts to Jim about Jocelyn taking everything he earned and the only person he cared about, his daughter, Joanna. She was almost seven but Leonard hadn't seen her since she was four, her mother kept him and his family away and then used it against him in court. He fought, hard, but in the end, she had better lawyers and family friends in the courts back home.

"Daddy, you should have seen mommy's face when Aunt Jamie showed up. It was funny." Leonard raised an eye at Jim as they made their way back into the main room.

The blonde shrugged, "I went to get her, told her I was your friend, so she dubbed me 'Aunt Jamie'."

"What Jocelyn did violated a ton of your rights. Cody and Bradley, the deputy JAG, had the case moved to fleet legal and reevaluated. You have time with her three times a month, more when you're on leave. I ordered you here because I figured it would be the easiest way to get you to show up, sober," Pike said from his spot on the couch. Leonard had never been so happy to get an order.

Jim handed Charlie to her husband and grabbed a PADD, "Everything you need is in here. You owe Cody a drink, by the way. You'll have her all weekend and I'll fly her back Monday, take someone with you when you go get her, just in case. Boyce had your schedule cleared for the next few days and that's her bag by the door, packed it myself. Baby Charlie likes her so don't be shy." Reading over the info she just handed him, Leonard wanted to cry, he could see his daughter. He looked over at Joanna; she was sitting next to Pike, making the baby giggle with her funny faces. He didn't know what to say, so he pulled his friend into a hug.

"Thank you, Jim. Thank you," he whispered.

"Anytime, Bonesy."

_August 2256_

_Chris_

He stood inside the door and just smiled. "Daddy thinks mama doesn't notice that he's watching us, what do we think about that little man?"

Jamie was rewarded with, "Da da da," from their son. Chris had come home to find his wife dancing around the living room with Charlie in her arms. Even though she looked a little tired, she was so beautiful.

"We should ask daddy why he's staring at us?" she asked. Chris pulled Jamie and Charlie into his arms.

"I'm staring because mommy is beautiful," he said before he kissed their son on the head, which earned him a smile from the eight month old, and kissed Jamie on her lips.

"I look…" Jamie started but Chris cut her off.

"Beautiful. You aren't going to change my mind. I don't care that you're wearing one of my shirts and jeans. You standing here with our son in your arms is the most beautiful thing I've ever seen."

"I think that holo of the two of you sleeping on the couch has me beat, just my opinion." He had to chuckle at that, his step-mom got a holo of him passed out on the couch with little Charlie asleep on his chest. Jamie told him that it took her back to when they were on the Aldrin, " _It's not like Kevin to take to anyone that fast, but he liked you enough to sleep on you_."

"You all packed, J?"

She nodded, "Yep. This is going to be weird isn't it? I mean, I've left him before but never for this long. Is it crazy that I'm a little scared?" The Farragut was ready to go out into the black again and they would be gone until January. Jamie would miss baby Charlie's first Christmas and his first birthday.

"He'll be fine, I'm here and so is Hobelia and dad, Cody and Zane and even Spock and Scotty. I'll be more worried about you to be honest. But you'll comm and you better keep yourself safe, I already talked with Gary about you staying out of trouble."

Jamie chuckled, "Gary is trouble."

_December 2256_

_Jamie_

"What the…? Sir, I have an anomaly incoming," Jamie didn't like the look of this.

"Fire a few phaser shots, Kirk," Garrovick gave the order after the science officer did her best to figure out what was heading their way and couldn't make an identification. It was supposed to be a routine mission; scan Tycho IV. This thing, a creature of some kind was heading their way.

"No damage, sir. It's still coming," she told him. The captain called a red alert and everyone scrambled; Jamie held her position at tactical. She and Gary looked at each other, there were life signs dropping all over the ship. "Sir? Sir?" Jamie turned in her chair, half the bridge crew was out, Garrovick was breathing heavily.

"Kirk, take the con," her captain ordered. He could barely say it before he stopped breathing, one of the science officers tried to bring him back while Jamie and what was left of the bridge crew worked to get them away from this thing.

"Mitch, set a course for the nearest Starbase and get us the hell out of here," she ordered. Even though she had the con, she stayed a tactical, issuing orders and helping the others however she could.

"Aye, ma'am," Gary nodded.

"Who has the con?" Commander Chenowyth eventually made his way to the bridge, as soon as he was brought up to speed and relieved Jamie, the situation went from bad to worse. The ship was hit by something that didn't even register on sensors and even more lives were lost.

"Sir, we need to get out of here," she told him. Jamie did the math in her head, half the crew was dead, if they didn't get to the Starbase, they were all goners.

"Mitchell, you are authorized to exceed warp safety protocols, get us out of here now," the first officer, now acting captain, ordered.

Of the five hundred and fifty crew members on the ship, two hundred and forty-three made it; their captain among the dead. Chenowyth advanced to CO and named Jamie as Acting First Officer. The ship used everything it had to the Starbase, but it still took a week to get there.

At one point, Jamie looked at Gary, "Chris is going to kill me. He'll kiss me, then, he'll kill me."

_March 2257_

_Chris_

She was alive. The surviving crew of the Farragut was three weeks late getting back from their mission, having to hitch rides on other ships since the Farragut was down for repairs. With half the crew lost, most of the survivors were taking orders to other posts; the ship would be back in the black this time next year with Chenowyth as commanding officer. Chris was informed of what happened during the attacks on the ship before the public was made aware; his wife was the acting XO. 'Damn lucky' was the term Richard used, 'badass,' is what Cody and Kevin thought, 'determined,' was Spock and Charlie.

After Jamie got back, he watched as she blamed herself for everything no matter how he, Gary and Chenowyth told her not to. "Are they fucking serious?" Chris looked up from the PADD he was reading.

"What?" he asked his wife.

"They promoted me to Lieutenant Commander. Are they high?" she looked like she was ready to pull her hair out.

"J, there are two hundred and forty-two people who owe their lives to you. Yes, you lost people but you can't keep blaming yourself. You can't carry the world on your shoulders, beautiful. Too heavy. Besides, if the brass and Chenowyth thought you deserved to be promoted, then you do." Something he said must have gotten to her.

"I keep seeing Garrovick die and it's like being back on Tarsus or in that shuttle with Johnny, I couldn't help him," she whispered. Tears welled in her eyes. Chris took her face in his hands and made her look at him.

"You kept yourself and the rest of his crew alive. As a captain, there is no better feeling then knowing that your crew can do what's necessary, even if you can't. As a tactical officer, I think what you did was genius. Most importantly, as your husband, I am so proud of you and happy that you're alive." He kissed her lips and pulled her into a hug.

_May 2257_

_Jamie_

"Wanna be my Tactical and First Officer?" he asked Jamie. She almost chocked on her drink.

"Can you do that?" she asked him.

Chris nodded, "Yes, the brass won't like it but it's within regulations. They're talking about sending the ship on extended missions, five years or longer. Joint assignments and children are authorized."

It was an idea that had been brought up before the Kelvin but was shelved after the ship was destroyed. Over the last decade, the idea was reintroduced; Jamie was a prime example of why it was a welcome idea. The Admiralty understood that her childhood wasn't pleasant, a result of being far from her mother who was serving on a ship. She wasn't the only one, just the easiest to reference.

"You, me and baby Charlie on a ship?" Jamie smiled.

"What do you say? Wanna see the universe with me?" he asked. Jamie thought about it for a few minutes.

"You have to formally request me, I don't want it to be different than anyone else you ask to join the crew. If you do that, I can say yes."

Chris smiled, "Done. Now all I gotta do is fill out the rest of the crew."

Chris had a bunch of people on his hit list; Spock for science officer and Scotty for engineering were both done deals. Gary was undecided; he had other offers on the table. There were some cadets on the list; Kevin and his friend Chekov for navigation and their buddy Sulu for helm. Spock had two students that he thought would be logical additions to the crew; Chris smiled when Jamie told him about Uhura being the girl in the bar and how she'd been keeping an eye on her progress through the academy, " _She's a walking universal translator. I think Spock has finally met his match_." The other cadet was Uhura's roommate, an Orion girl named Gaila she was a computer expert. McCoy was tapped for medical; Chris managed to snag Doctor Puri for chief medical officer since Boyce had taken a job at Starfleet Medical Command. This was going to be a kick ass crew.


	18. Chapter 18

  _September 2257_

_Amanda_

"I think he likes me." Jamie and Hobelia invited her to join them for lunch, they had finished eating and baby Charlie was the center of their attention. Jamie smiled at her son, who was in Amanda's arms.

"Maybe he's figured out that you're Spock's mom. Ever since he was born, he's been Spock's little buddy." She found that to be the cutest thing, Spock wrapped around this small child's finger. She was on-planet to attend diplomatic functions with Sarek but she enjoyed getting to spend time in San Francisco. "You know, he's getting promoted. Between his work on the Kobayashi Maru, his performance on the Yorktown's last tour and the multiple classes that he's teaching, he's a rock star. I'm surprised it took the brass so long to do it." Jamie told Amanda that Spock should've been promoted before her but Spock disagreed, " _You saved many lives, Jamison. Your promotion is a reflection of those actions_."

"I agree with my son," Hobelia nodded at Amanda's statement, Jamie had been there to save her ship multiple times, not promoting her would have caused an up-roar, even with the Vulcan Ambassador. She may not have realized it, but Sarek was interested in her career almost as much as he was with Spock's. After the dinner they shared, Jamie looked at Spock and Sarek and said, " _It's not worth it, avoiding each other. I would kill for five minutes with my parents and my brother, Sam. They're dead, I won't ever get a chance, don't waste yours._ " Spock and Sarek spent a lot of time after that burying their issues with each other, it wasn't perfect but they were talking to each other again.

Amanda was pulled from her thoughts by Hobelia, "We have company, ladies." She watched as Jamie did a quick scan of the room with her eyes.

"Reporter at the bar, I see him," the young woman said calmly. The three women took care of the bill and got little Charlie ready to leave. Jamie shared a look with Hobelia, who took the small child. Jamie walked over to the reporter. So, this is what Gary meant when he said she was 'silently vicious.'

_Jamie_

She kept calm as she spoke to the man, "If you took holos of my son, delete them now. You even think about releasing them and Starfleet will bury you. As I'm sure you've figured out, that's the Vulcan Ambassador's wife, you do not want problems with them either. You can say you saw us at lunch all you want but my son is off-limits by the Federation mandate protecting children from media exposure." The guy just looked at her, Jamie was hoping he wasn't an idiot. After a moment, he nodded and deleted some holos on his PADD. "You want to know what we were talking about?"

The guy looked like he won the lottery, "An exclusive, really?"

"Well, I don't know how exclusive this is. We were discussing Spock, the Ambassador and Lady Amanda's son. He and I were classmates at the academy, he's also a friend and colleague. He's getting promoted today and his mother is very proud of all the things that he's done. We were also talking about his interactions with my son, Spock is teaching him to speak Vulcan. That's all, nothing earth-shattering."

"I hate to break it to you Lieutenant Commander Kirk, but just about everything you do is news," he told her. It saddened her to think about that.

"There are more important things in this universe then me." With that she left the reporter and joined Hobelia, Amanda and Charlie outside.

_January 2258_

_Chris_

Chris was in heaven. Jamie went back to teaching at the academy while the Enterprise was in its final stages; she went to Riverside a few times a month but she was usually home to tuck Charlie in. Chris loved to watch the two of them interact. Charlie was so much like his mama, walking and talking, always trying to learn stuff. To him, it sounded like his son was just speaking gibberish but Jamie just smiled and told him it was a mix of English, Standard and Vulcan. Chris thought about having Spock or Jamie help improve his Vulcan, at this rate, he's going to be the only one that doesn't speak it well.

At two years old, Charlie didn't sit still for very long, except when Spock was around. It was normal to spend a Saturday running around with Charlie and his 'big cousin' Joanna. Watching the two of them was like Jamie and Cody 2.0. The little girl wouldn't let anybody mess with Charlie on the playground, even though she was five years older than him, she liked playing with him more than kids her own age. He even watched as McCoy turned into a ball of mush when the kids were around, Chris was sure that's what he looked like too.

Baby Charlie's birthday was epic in its awesomeness; everyone went out to the house in Mojave. Jamie, Cody and Zane ran around by the lake with little Charlie and Joanna, while Chris, big Charlie, McCoy, Hobelia, Spock and Scotty watched from the patio. " _That laddie is a mini-version of his mama. Ye watch, he'll be a genius just like she is_." Everyone had to agree, Chris was already beginning to see it, Charlie was the smartest two-year-old he'd ever seen, not that he'd been around any other two year old. Jamie saw it to but she refused to have him tested, " _I want him to have a childhood, we can test him in a few years. He won't ever get this time back, neither will we_." As much as he wanted to argue with her about it, he couldn't; she had a very valid point, if their son was as smart as they all thought, they could wait a little while to get him in school.

"…goodnight stars, goodnight air, goodnight noises everywhere." Jamie kissed the sleeping child on the head, turned the lights down and made her way to Chris who was standing in the hall.

"Why doesn't he fall asleep that fast for me?" he asked.

Jamie chuckled, "I don't know, maybe it's because I have an effect on Pike men." That was true, his dad adored her, he's always been in love with her and baby Charlie was a mama's boy.

Chris kissed her neck and whispered, "Wanna have an effect on one Pike man, right now?"

"What did you have in mind?"

_March 2258_

_Jamie_

"What seems to be the issue, Cadet Uhura?" Jamie had happened upon the cadet as she made her way through campus.

"It's nothing ma'am," Uhura sighed.

"It's never nothing," Jamie said. She knew that Uhura was a damn good cadet, even Spock was singing her praises as the aide for the advanced phonology and advanced acoustical engineering courses … at least as far as a Vulcan would sing praises.

"I was in the communications lab last night and I detected a message from Klingon space. forty-seven Klingon ships were destroyed by an unknown Romulan vessel near one of their prison planets. The officer assigned to the lab ignored me when I tried to bring it up," the cadet told her. The wheels in Jamie's head began turning.

"That's not nothing, Uhura. I'll bet that you recorded the file," she said to the other woman. When Uhura nodded, Jamie continued, "Can you send it to me?" The cadet entered something into her PADD and a new message lit up Jamie's screen. "There's something here, you did a good job. I'll let you know if I find anything, ok?"

Uhura smiled, "Thanks for listening, ma'am."

Jamie looked at her, "It's no problem, besides, I've been friends with Spock a long time. If he trusts your judgment, there's no reason for me not to."

_Leonard_

The call to muster came out of nowhere. Leonard made his way to the shuttle bay to get his orders, even though he was sure that he was on the Enterprise. As much as he hates the idea of space, Jamie was his best friend, he figured he could handle being up there if she was around. There had been some major changes in his life in the last few months, the biggest was the fact that he had custody of Joanna.

Jocelyn got remarried and –surprise!- the new guy didn't like kids, so instead of dumping the guy, she tossed her daughter aside. He was so glad that Jamie was on his side because when she found out, she was beyond pissed, _"How could someone not love Joanna? She's not even my kid and I would do anything for her_." That cemented their friendship.

Between her and Chris, they helped move him into a bigger place, got Joanna into school and if he was working while she wasn't in school, there was a list of people that volunteered to babysit; Joanna being with one of the Pikes, Jamie's cousin, Scotty or Spock was common. Right now, she was with Cody and Zane, who were also watching baby Charlie. He was pulled from his thoughts by the shuttle officer telling him what he already knew, he was going to the Enterprise, so were Uhura, Gaila, Riley, Sulu, and Chekov.

"Did you know? Where we were assigned?" Gaila asked as they made their way to their assigned shuttle.

He shook his head, "Me, Riley,Chekov and Uhura, yes. You and Sulu, no."

_Chris_

"Commander Kirk?" he didn't have to be specific, she knew what he was asking.

It was time to get out of here, the emergency signal from Vulcan meant that all the ships at Starbase One were being sent. All officers in the area were recalled and the first and second class cadets -third and fourth year- were all activated. Chris tried to keep tabs of where everyone went. Jamie, Spock, McCoy, Scotty and Kevin were here with him but Big Charlie was on the Hood and Gary was on the newly repaired Farragut.

"Sir, Engineering reports ready to launch," Jamie notified him from the tactical station.

"Thank you Ms. Kirk." He made an address to everyone on the bridge, "Ladies and gentlemen, the maiden voyage of our newest flagship deserves more pomp and circumstance that we can afford today. The christening will just have to be our reward for a safe return. Carry on." Chris hit the control that allowed him to talk to the whole ship, "All decks, this is Captain Pike. Prepare for immediate departure." He looked to Sulu, "Helm, thrusters."

The young pilot responded, "Captain, dock control reports ready. Thrusters fired. Separating from space dock." Kid was doing a good job, for a rookie. "The fleet's cleared space dock, Captain. All ships ready for warp."

Chris issued his order, "Set course for Vulcan."

And Sulu responded with an "Aye-aye, captain. Course laid in."

"Maximum warp. Punch it." He was ready to go, but nothing happened. He looked at Sulu, "Lieutenant Sulu, What's the problem?" Hikaru looked confused.

"I'm not sure what's wrong here, sir," the pilot said.

"The external inertial dampener," Jamie and Spock said at the same time, if it wasn't for the situation, Chris would have laughed. Jamie looked at the helmsman.

"They're new for this ship, you have to disengage them," she told the other officer. Sulu turned back to helm control and punched in a sequence.

"Thanks, ma'am. Ready, Sir," Sulu said.

Chris smiled, "Let's punch it."

_Jamie_

"Sir, we should slow down, this isn't a natural disaster." Jamie listened as Chekov read the report from Vulcan, this fit with the conditions of her birth and Uhura's audio from the lab made a lot more sense. Chris looked at her but Spock spoke up.

"What do you mean?" the Vulcan asked.

"The only other instance of a lightning storm in space, happened the day I was born when the Kelvin was attacked by Romulans. That ship, which had advanced and formidable weaponry disappeared and hasn't been seen in twenty-five years. The attack on the Kelvin took place on the edge of Klingon space, at twenty-three hundred hours last night, Lieutenant Uhura intercepted a transmission, forty-seven Klingon vessels were destroyed by a Romulan ship, a massive ship, near Rura Penthe, their prison colony. I think this is the same ship that destroyed the Kelvin, if I'm right, and I usually am, Vulcan is under attack." Jamie could see the wheels turning in the officers around her; Chris was a damn good tactical officer himself who studied the Kelvin and Spock was logical, almost to a fault.

"Scan Vulcan space. Check for any transmissions in Romulan." Chris had turned to the communications officer, Hawkins.

"Sir, I'm not sure I can distinguish the Romulan language from Vulcan," the lieutenant told him.

"Call Lieutenant Uhura up here. Kirk, your Romulan and Vulcan are both good, help him until she arrives," Chris ordered. Jamie nodded and went to assist Hawkins, ignoring the shocked looks that some of the crew threw her way. Chris continued to give orders, "Hannity, hail the Farragut or the Hood." Soon, Jamie's last ship was on-screen, Chris didn't give them a chance to speak, "Chenowyth, you need to drop out of warp right now. It's a trap." The other officer looked at Chris, he was fit to argue, but seeing Jamie, stopped him. He didn't get a chance to issue the order.

"Too late, we just got here. Oh my G…" Chenowyth stated but the communication cut off.

"Shields up, red alert," Chris ordered. Jamie really hated being right.

_Chris_

"Captain, we're being hailed," Uhura called from behind him. Shields were shot, there was damage to multiple decks, if this ship was going to kill them, get it over with.

He nodded, "On screen."

"Hello," The Romulan appeared on the screen. Chris was not in the mood.

"I am Captain Christopher Pike. To whom am I speaking?" he asked.

"Hi Christopher. I am Nero." It's like this Romulan doesn't have a care in the world. This was the same captain that destroyed the Kelvin. Chris glanced at his wife and she was not happy.

"You've declared war against the Federation. Withdraw and I'll agree to arrange a conference with Romulan leadership at a neutral location," Chris said. No matter how bad he wanted to just kill this person and get it over with, he had a job to do.

Nero looked at him, "We don't speak for the Empire. We stand apart. As does your Vulcan crew member. Isn't that right, Spock?" Everyone on the bridge was shocked by that. If this guy knew anything about Spock, then he would know that the young Vulcan wasn't even close to being alone. Spock stepped away from his station.

"Pardon me, I do not believe that you and I are acquainted," Spock said.

"We're not. Not yet," Nero said. Huh? Chris didn't know what to think. The Romulan continued, "Spock, there's something I would like you to see. Captain Pike, your transporter has been disabled. As you can see, by the rest of the armada, you have no choice. You will man a shuttle and come aboard the Narada for negotiations. That is all." Nero cut the transmission. The silence on the bridge was deafening.

_Jamie_

"He wants something. He's going to torture you, then he's going to kill you. But you know that," she said with as much calm as she could muster. There was so much she wanted to say but she couldn't do it here. Chris looked up at her, she had moved to standing next to the chair. "We can figure something else out, sir." It didn't help that Spock agreed with her.

"Your survival is unlikely, sir," Spock said. As she watched Chris think, no doubt, about their options.

Jamie continued, "We gain nothing by diplomacy. Going over to that ship is a mistake." Chris stood up.

"We have officers with explosives training, who aren't you?" he asked her.

She nodded, "Olsen is one of Scotty's guys. Hendorff is in security. Those are my top two." Chris looked to the helm.

"Mister Sulu, as I understand it, you have advanced hand-to-hand combat training," Chris said,

The lieutenant nodded, "Yes, Sir."

"Uhura, have Olsen and Hendorff meet me in the shuttle bay with demo gear," he told the communications officer before looking at her, Spock and Sulu, "You three are with me. Chekov you have the con." Jamie knew how Chris thought, if she had to guess, he was going to drop a team on that drill while heading to the other ship. What if he doesn't come back? Fear gripped her that she may never see him again. His voice brought her out of her mind. "Without transporters we can't beam off the ship. We can't help Vulcan, we can't do our jobs. Sulu, Olsen and Hendorff are going to space-jump to that drill and disable it. As soon as it's down, beam them and anybody else we can up. Contact Starfleet and let them know what's happening." Jamie had started a scan for life-signs when they dropped out of warp, as soon as the transporters were ready, there were a few dozen people already locked in.

"Kirk, I'm leaving you in command." What?

She looked at him, "The brass is going to fucking love that."

Chris shook his head, "You let me worry about them. It's you or Spock and you have more experience. Spock, I'm advancing you to XO. You'll keep her from doing anything too crazy." A thought was nagging at her.

"What about you?" she asked.

He smiled, "You'll come get me," he paused, "If you can't, then you do whatever you have to do to get home to Charlie."

"Understood, Captain," she whispered.

"I'm not the Captain, you are," Chris said. The doors closed, her husband on the other side of them. She looked at Spock.

"Go to the transporter room. As soon as they're on-line, go get your family. I have a very bad feeling about this," she told her friend. Spock nodded and made his way to transporter room one while she headed back to the bridge. "Don't die on me, sweetheart," she whispered while in the turbolift.


	19. Chapter 19

_Jamie_

"Keptin on the bridge," Chekov called. Jamie really wished she wasn't in command; she built this ship, Chris is supposed to be in command of it.

"Uhura, contact the transporter rooms, as soon as that drill is off, they need to beam anyone alive on the other ships over," she told the lieutenant. She hit the comm, "Bridge to medical, Puri, status." She was shocked to hear her friend speak up instead of the CMO.

"Jim, it's me. Puri was on deck six. He's dead," Bones told her. This just keeps getting worse.

"Bones, I hate to toss you in the fire but as of now, you're acting CMO," she said. She could almost see him scowl.

"Tell me something I don't know. I'll get back to you with a status when I can. McCoy out," he said before closing the connection.

"Mister Chekov, what are they doing to the planet?" she asked.  The young officer looked almost as lost as she felt.

"They appear to be drilling a hole of some kind," he told her. "Oh God. Olsen is gone, ma'am."

"Hendorff and Sulu?" Jamie was almost willing them to be okay. Even though she didn't like the burly security officer for hassling her at that bar in Riverside, he was still one of their crew members.

"They have disabled the drill, Keptin," the young Russian told her.

Jamie nodded, "Get them back up here. Uhura, I just sent you communication codes, they go straight to Admirals Archer and Barnett. Send them everything we know so far. Someone let me know when Spock gets back."

The lieutenant nodded, "Aye, ma'am."

"They have just dropped something into the hole they drilled," Chekov looked terrified, "The gravitational fluctuations are off the charts. If my calculations are correct, they are creating a singularity that will destroy the planet." Before Jamie could say anything, Spock and his parents entered the bridge, the younger Vulcan asked what she was thinking.

"How long does the planet have?"

Chekov looked at Spock, "Minutes, sir. Minutes."

_Amanda_

This wasn't happening. It felt like being in a nightmare that you can't wake up from. Vulcan was gone. The pain Amanda felt from her husband and son slammed into her like a ton of bricks, the young lieutenant that Spock talked about, Nyota, was the only thing keeping her on her feet. Jamie looked at them and spoke in Vulcan, " _I grieve with thee._ " Amanda knew Jamie well enough to know that even thought she wasn't Vulcan, she felt the deaths of the six billion on her soul. The older woman looked around the room.

"Where is Christopher?" Amanda asked.

Jamie offered a sad smile, "On the enemy ship. Spock, maybe you should get your family and the High Council sorted. There's nothing we can do right now. Sulu, take us back to earth." When they all looked at her like she was crazy, she defended the action, "This guy has an issue with Spock."

"Which is why he destroyed Wulcan," the young man with the thick Russian accent said. Amanda understood what Jamie was getting at as she gestured towards her.

"Spock's mother is human and they have family in Seattle," Jamie said. Thinking it was one thing but the realization of Jamie's words sunk in; her sister, her nephews and her step-son are in danger. Spock looked at his friend and shared a whispered conversation with her before he led Amanda and Sarek off the bridge.

_Leonard_

Once the sickbay had calmed down enough, Leonard made his way to the bridge, "Where's Kirk?"

"Ready room," was the response he got from Sulu. He nodded and made his way to the captain's office. He buzzed and the door slid open. Jamie was sitting in Pike's chair with her head resting on the desk.

"What if he's dead, Bones?" she asked without looking up. The southern doctor knew a good deal about Jamie between being her doctor and her friend, he could tell that she didn't know what to do, it didn't look good on her. If she could, she would trade places with Pike in a heartbeat if it meant he was alive. Before Leonard could say anything, she spoke again, "I don't know if Charlie and Gary are okay, they were on other ships." Damn, they had to catch a break.

"You never know, Jim. They're all tough, maybe they're alright," he was trying to be optimistic, but he was out of practice. Jamie took a deep breath, wiped her face, stood and walked towards him.

"We have work to do," she said. He watched her go from worried wife to that deathly calm that scared the shit outta him. He nodded. This Nero guy was in trouble, he thought Jamie being pissed at his ex-wife was bad, this guy just made an enemy of the _last_ person you want to fight against. He had her husband, destroyed her friend's planet and threatened the world where their children were; all bets were off.

Back on the bridge, the geniuses got to work, he watched as Jamie, Spock, Scotty and Chekov tossed ideas back and forth. It was the kid who came up with the plan, "Keptin Kirk."

She looked at him, "Yea, Chekov. What is it?"

"Based on the Narada's course from Wulcan I have projected that Nero will trawel pass Saturn. Like you said we need to stay inwisible to Nero or he'll destroy us. If Mr. Scott can get us to warp factor 4 and if we drop out of warp behind one of Saturn's moons, say Titan, the magnetic distortion from the planet's rings will make us inwisible to Nero's sensors. From there, as long as the drill is not actiwated we can beam aboard the enemy ship." He rolled his eyes, seriously. Scotty spoke up from next to Jamie.

"Aye, that might work," the engineer said. Leonard wasn't buying it.

"How old are you, kid?" he asked.

Chekov smiled, "Sewenteen, sir."

"Oh great, Jim. He's seventeen," he said to his friend.

Jamie gave him a look, "I got my PhD's and lined up a job with Starfleet working on warp cores at seventeen, what's your point?" Leonard sort of knew that, he didn't dig too deep when they talked about their pasts, she told him about working on warp cores, not that she was seventeen when she got the job.

Scotty chuckled, "The lass made me jealous the first time I met 'er. Young, pretty and downright brilliant, Chekov is like a boy version of Kirk." Jamie chuckled, she nudged the engineer and looked at her grumpy friend.

"The kid is right, Bones. His math is good," she told him just as Spock stepped in.

"If Mister Sulu is able to maneuver us into position, I can beam aboard Nero's ship, steal back the black hole device and, if possible, bring back Captain Pike. Romulans and Vulcans share a common ancestry. Our cultural similarities will make it easier for me to access the ship's computer to locate the device." Jamie thought about it.

"I'm going with you," she said. She held up her hand before anyone could argue, "I'm the only one with enough specialized training who speaks Romulan. There is no way in hell that I would let you go alone."

_Jamie_

They made it back to their sector, the Narada was here, orbiting earth, but they haven't activated the drill yet. Jamie opened the comm to the whole ship, "All hands, this is Acting Captain Kirk speaking. In a few moments we are going to launch an operation to take out the enemy vessel and stop it from doing to earth what it did to Vulcan. There are billions of people on that planet down there and we are the only thing standing between them and our enemy. Nero left us alive because he didn't see us as a threat, we're about to make him realize his mistake. Unlike Nero, we have too much at stake to let him win. When Captain Pike put this crew together, he chose each of you because you are the very best in your fields. I have every faith that we will not let our Captain, earth or the Federation down. Everyone to battle stations, Kirk out."

Jamie stood up and looked at Sulu, "If you have the tactical advantage, use it. Even if we're still over there."

He nodded, "Aye, ma'am. Good luck, Jamie."

She smiled at the helmsman, "Good luck to us all. You have the con." The crew on the bridge was standing a little taller as their acting commanding and first officers made their way off of the bridge. Scotty was sitting in the transporter room. 

"I couldn't let just anyone do this, lass. Be careful over there," he told her after she gave him a look.

"Monty…" She began but he cut her off.

"If you don't make it, I'll look after the wee one," Monty said. She almost cried, if they didn't make it, her son might not either. She didn't say anything else, just nodded at her friend. Lady Amanda ran into the room, she gave Jamie a hug and one to Spock.

"You two be careful, get Christopher and get back here," Spock's mother told them.

They both replied quickly, "Yes, ma'am."

Uhura spoke quietly to Spock, "I'll be monitoring your frequency." Jamie gave him a look.

"When were you going to tell me about that?" she asked when the officer walked away. Spock didn't answer her, Scotty was ready to send them over. One second, they're on the Enterprise and the next, they're on the Narada.

_Chris_

This sucks. Chris couldn't move but at this point he was just hoping that Jamie and Charlie were okay. He looked over at the older Vulcan that was strapped to another table; they had to get out of here. He gave up earth's defense codes, that damn slug they shoved down his throat released a toxin that made him talk. Chris just wanted to see his family again, he even said as much at some point. He was looking around, when a guard went down. Chris smiled, his wife was here. It was beautiful to watch as Jamie and Spock took out the Romulans around him.

"Took you long enough, J."

Jamie smiled, "Sorry we're late, been busy. Who's the Vulcan?" Chris looked over at the older man, who answered her question.

"I am Spock," the other hostage said. Jamie looked at her Spock and raised an eyebrow. The older man raised his hand to the young Vulcan, "It will be quicker." Spock nodded and old Spock touched his face, it only seemed like a few seconds but it must have been enough.

"We must use the red matter to destroy this ship. I will do it," her Spock said.

The older man nodded, "You must get your Captain out of here." Chris was almost sure that they were referring to Jamie.

"Spock, go with him, we'll beam you out. Be careful, my friend," she said. Spock –the younger one- nodded and made his way to the Jellyfish looking ship.

_Jamie_

"I own him more food," she muttered after Scotty beamed her and Chris directly to sickbay. Chris chuckled, it was so him, yet tinged in pain.

"Go, J. The crew needs you more than I do, I got McCoy. Go," her husband told her. She nodded, gave her friend the don't-let-my-husband-die look and ran towards the bridge, the two Spocks met her half-way.

"Keptin on the bridge," how does Chekov even see the door?

"Hail them, now," she said. Well, look how things have changed. She wasn't a bitch but between being her father's murderer and after seeing Chris' condition, she really needed a reason not to just tell this guy to go fuck himself all the way to hell. Luckily for him, she has morals, "This is Captain Jamison T. Kirk of the USS Enterprise. Your ship is compromised. You're too close to the singularity to survive without assistance which we are willing to provide." Of course, everyone looked at her like she was crazy, Spock was the only one brave enough to ask.

"Captain, what are you doing?" her friend whispered. What was she doing? Being the better person.

"Showing them compassion may be the only way to make peace with Romulus, Spock. I thought you were the logical one around here," she offered.

"Not today, Captain," Spock replied. Well, Jamie thought, if the Vulcan is ready to kill you, it means you're really fucked. There's no way around that. At least Nero made it easy.

"I would rather suffer the end of Romulus a thousand times, I would rather die in agony than accept assistance from you," Nero growled at her. There was a part of Jamie, a small part, that was saddened by his refusal to take her help, the rest of her was about to enjoy every bit of this.

Her tone went icy, "I knew you'd say that, on behalf of my father, go to hell." As she walked to the command chair she looked at the helmsman, "Sulu, send him."

"Aye, Captain." The way he said it caused Jamie to make a mental note, 'never, ever, piss Sulu off.' The lieutenant laid waste to the Narada, it's not going to pop up anywhere else.

"Helm, take us home," she ordered. They aren't moving, "Why aren't we at warp?" She looked as Sulu.

"We are ma'am," he told her, his voice straining as he tried to keep control of the ship. Shit, shit, shit. She hit a control that opened comm to engineering.

"Get us out of here, Scotty," she called.

"You bet your arse Captain," her friend said. Jamie could hear him moving when a thought hit her.

"It's a gravity well, isn't it?" she asked.

"Aye, lass. We're caught in it. We could eject the core and detonate it, should push us free," the Scot told her. That's why she loved him, only person who got her brand of crazy.

"Go for it, Monty," she ordered. She felt the whole ship shudder as he followed her order and break free from the hold that the singularity had on them.

"We built one hell of a ship, lass," she heard Scotty say.

"Spock, I need a status report from all section heads," she said after they all took a few minutes to enjoy their win; they weren't out of the woods yet. She looked at the older Spock, "We should probably talk." The man who was her friend, but wasn't at the same time, nodded.

"I believe you are correct, as usual, Captain."

_Chris_

Chris noticed a few things as he came to; he was alive, back on the Enterprise, he could sorta feel his legs and there was something on his hand. He looked over to find Jamie sitting in a chair next to his bed with her head resting next to his arm, her grip on his hand was firm even in her sleep.

"Look who's awake," a gruff voice said. Chris looked up to find McCoy walking into the room.

"Hey, doc. How bad?"

McCoy looked at him, "You aren't running a marathon anytime soon but you'll be on your feet again. Managed to get that damn slug out of you in one piece. Jim is banged up, but other than needing to be forced to sleep and eat she's okay. I swear, she's crazy, running around like Wonder Woman."

"You know, I can hear you, right?" She whispered. "And I'm too badass to be Wonder Woman, nothing against the Amazonian but I prefer my flaws. I'm more Iron Man. Dude is brilliant, builds cool stuff, bangs sexy people and has daddy issues… he's me without boobs." Leonard rolled his eyes.

"You see what I mean, crazy," the doctor groaned.

Jamie smirked, "Never said I wasn't. It's not my fault that I've been through worse. If I don't joke around about all this I might cry." As much as Chris worried about her, he knew she could take care of herself, she just had to prioritize.

"How's our ship?" Chris jumped in, mostly because he wanted to know, but also, so the two would stop fussing at each other. Jamie gave him a quick rundown, earth was still there but they were limping back; Yorktown was on intercept to help them out. Archer and Barnett were keeping the vultures at bay and taking Jamie's reports themselves. Jamie spent time with the Vulcans on the ship or helping with the repairs. She had the guy he was held prisoner with around here somewhere.

"If asked, his name is Salek," she told him.

"You heard from dad or Gary?" He knew whatever she was about to tell him was bad. She glanced at McCoy who touched her shoulder and left the room.

"Charlie is almost as bad as you," she said, "but he's still breathing. Gary and Chenowyth are dead, though." She had tears in her eyes, Gary was like family and he was gone. She stayed with him until her communicator beeped, letting her know that the Yorktown was here.

_Jennifer_

All those ships and Vulcan, lost. Jennifer couldn't believe it. When Barnett contacted her, he had her divert to help the Enterprise. They were damaged and suffered casualties but they had won the Battle for Earth. She took a team to the Enterprise and met with Kirk and Spock.

"Good to see you, Captain," Jamie said with a small smile. Shran and Kelso, who damn near demanded to go with the away team, were itching to talk to the duo.

"Go ahead and hug 'em," Jennifer told her officers. Kelso went first, hugging Jamie first, then Spock. Shran hugged Jamie as soon as Kelso let her go.

" _Good job, Golden-top_ ," he said in Andorian.

"Where do you need us, Captain Kirk?" Jennifer asked.


	20. Chapter 20

_Jamie_

There was another reality; Jamie wasn't shocked by that too much, the fact that she was a guy in the other reality was trippy though. It was all the same, but different from what she could tell. Selak –no way she was calling him Spock- showed her his Kirk and Enterprise in a mind meld. She saw decades of the crew together and it warmed her heart to see that the other Kirk had Bones, Scotty, Chekov, Sulu, Uhura, Gary, Kevin, Spock and a whole bunch of other people she knows, watching his back.

The old Vulcan was intrigued by her relationship with Chris, " _Captain Pike was my commanding officer for eleven years. He became a fleet captain and turned his command over to you in 2265. You knew each other but not nearly as well as you do in this reality. The Pike I knew was disabled after saving a group of cadets on a training cruise. He spent the rest of his life in an illusion on a forbidden planet. He had no children but Jim did have a son, David was born in 2261 and died in 2285_."

She and this other Kirk were a lot alike, both smart and dedicated, both willing to fight for others and both were stubborn. Seeing his death was shocking, especially when she felt the emotions that went with the memory, it reminded her of the feelings she had when Sam died. This Vulcan and his Kirk were family; it just took them a lot longer than her and her Spock.

Selak showed her what drove Nero to do what he did; a star that went supernova destroyed Romulus. Selak was supposed to save the planet but he was too late. Everything Nero cared about was on the planet, including his wife and unborn child. While Jamie was never, ever, going to like the guy, she understood where he was coming from. He threatened her home, where her son was, where her best friend's daughter was; even though there were billions on the planet, she was only thinking about two of them when she went after the Narada. Still didn't give him the right to do what he did, but she got it.

She and Selak continued to share their realities when her comm. beeped, it was Bones; "Charlie's awake." The old Vulcan smiled, he knew his Pike's father. He walked with her to sickbay and left to speak with Sarek. Jamie walked over to the man who, for all intents and purposes, was her dad.

"Hey, old man," she said. He gave her as good of a smile as he could muster.

"Look at you, Captain Kirk. Wait until you tell Hobi," he told her.

_Charlie_

Jamie chuckled, "Already talked to Hobelia, she got a kick out it. They're okay; the kids, Hobelia, Cody and Zane. They were more worried about us. I won't lie, it was close. Bones tell you about Chris?"

"Yea," he nodded. the doctor told him that his son was injured on the enemy ship but Jamie and Spock got him back; he was not surprised one bit, she would walk over burning coals and broken glass to save Chris. For a second, she looked like that teenager he met twelve years ago, she sat down and took his hand.

"You Pike men have a way of scaring the crap out of me. They told me what happened, that group of cadets that you were with; they've all been checking on you. Good kids, they jumped right in with our crew, filling in wherever they can." Charlie was glad, he wasn't sure how but he managed to get the dozen of them to safety before the explosion. He got pinned under a support beam; his leg was a mess, he had crushed ribs and he lost a lot of blood. He remembered one of the cadets told him to focus on her and talked to him until he passed out.

"How long was I out and how much damage did that ship do?" he asked his daughter-in-law. He wasn't part of the Hood's normal crew but the call to muster meant that everyone who wasn't on medical leave was ordered to a ship.

"Five days." Jamie paused, "Vulcan was destroyed... they created a black hole in the center of the planet. The Hood suffered massive losses. So did the other ships. We lost Antares, Armstrong, Farragut, Mayflower, Newton, Odyssey, Truman, and Wolcott." Holy shit.

"Gary?" he asked even though he was sure he didn't want to know.

She shook her head, "We managed to save a few dozen crew members from different places on the ship, but the bridge on the Farragut was gone in two shots." All those people were just gone. Charlie knew that Jamie was going to beat herself up over not being able to help her friend. He liked the kid, Gary reminded him of Chris when he first joined up. He squeezed her hand.

"Not your fault, kiddo. You saved so many lives, there was no way to get out of this without losses. You did good. Have you seen Chris?"

"Yea, he woke up a few days ago, I filled him in on you. Since he can't walk right now, one of Bones' people will take you to him, or bring him to you. I'm just glad that you're both okay," she said.

_Leonard_

"You comm home yet?" He looked up to find his friend looking at him. This is the first time he's been able to sit down since this whole thing began. Jamie sat next to him on Puri's couch. He shook his head.

"No, not yet. You?" he asked.

Jamie nodded, "A few minutes with Hobelia. They're all okay." Thank God for that. He knew that Joanna was in good hands, but to hear that she, and baby Charlie, were okay was something he needed. "Let Uhura know when you're ready to comm home, everybody is at the house in Mojave."

Jamie told him what she learned about the Romulan who almost destroyed the earth. He understood the feelings the guy had but to go after a bunch of innocent people was crazy. Most people wouldn't notice, because she has a damn good poker face, but his friend was a mess; she was banged up and exhausted, her husband and father-in-law were both in his sickbay, Gary and her old XO were dead and she was in charge of a ship full of people which included a bunch of refugees. He heard the hitch in her voice.

"That maniac almost killed our kids," she whispered. He wrapped his arms around her as the tears started to fall. He'd never seen her cry before but it was necessary; he now understood why she spent the last few days joking around with him, she really was ready to cry.

"You saved them, Jim. You saved them."

_May 2258_

_Chris_

"Come on, Captain. I know you got a few more steps in you," his therapist told him. He really hated this guy. It's been a little over a month since the Narada attacked, Jamie and company did an amazing job getting the ship back in as best shape as possible. She recommended commendations for a good chunk of the crew. Jamie didn't put anything in for herself; she was shocked and touched when she found out that One had recommended her for a commendation and a promotion. He was proud of her, he had no clue that he was handing her the fate of the world when he left her in command but he couldn't have done what she did on his best day. He was pulled from his thoughts by his annoying therapist.

"You wanna trade places?" he growled. Chris was not in the mood for physical therapy, the only thing worse than this was the debriefing with the Admirals. Jamie's debrief lasted for eighteen fucking hours, so did Spock's. HQ tried their hardest to find fault with the two Lieutenant Commanders, but they couldn't. The duo went above and beyond the call of duty, every single officer and Vulcan refugee backed them up. Both the senior staff from Enterprise and the senior staff from the Yorktown backed his decision to leave Jamie in command.

One spoke on their behalf during her own turn with the brass, " _On the Enterprise, I saw a crew that, despite what they went through, was as dedicated and as focused as any crew I've ever seen. Not only were those officers doing their jobs but they filled in for injured and dead crew members without complaint or reservation. They ensured that the mourning refugees on the ship were comfortable; even if that meant sharing quarters with a friend. Lieutenant Commanders Kirk and Spock, in addition to their command duties, were often found helping with repairs all over the ship, in sickbay keeping spirits up or just talking with crew members who needed someone to listen. I have served with a lot of officers in my career and these two are the best of us. I may outrank them but I would follow their orders any day."_ He was glad that his former first officer saw the side of Jamie that he met on Tarsus; the leader who would do anything as long as it meant her people were safe. Chris was pulled, again, from his thoughts by the therapist,

"You got this, sir," the guy said. He glared at the kid, McCoy would be proud of that one and was about to make a comment, when a welcome voice spoke up.

"Stop glaring at him, you're gonna give Bones a run for his money," Jamie said.

Chris chuckled, "You wanna help?"

"Sure," she said. Jamie walked around him and stood five steps away, "Just focus on me. I had to fight Romulans to get to you. You can give me a few steps." This he could do, make his way to Jamie. He tuned everyone else out and slowly walked to his wife. She wrapped her arms around him when he got there.

"Maybe you should come to all of these sessions, I do better with you around."

She laughed, "I'll see what I can do about that, sweetheart."

_Jamie_

"At this time, we are not allowing visitor access to the embassy," the guard instructed her and Chris.

"I understand, however, we are expected. S'haile Sarek and T'sai Amanda requested that we join them for the evening meal," Jamie told the Vulcan.

"T'hy'la," Spock said from out of nowhere. He looked to the guard and spoke in Vulcan, " _Lieutenant Commander Kirk and Captain Pike are listed as members of my family. They have full access to the premises._ " The man apologized for his mistake and allowed them to pass. Spock had to explain to Chris what T'hy'la meant. Brother/lover/friend was the best way to describe it. They would never be lovers but as far as Jamie was concerned, Spock was her brother and friend.

"Since when are we listed as members of your family?" she asked.

"My father added you upon our return to earth. He found it logical as you and I interact as siblings. He can feel my love for you as well as my mother's. Christopher is your spouse," he answered. She smiled, Spock loves her, and he said it. She remembers the days when he wouldn't even say it to his mother.

"Uhura?" he knew what she was asking. She had been wondering about the two of them.

"She is already here," he told her. Jamie gave him a look. Spock sighed, "We are… good." He did tell her about his relationship with the talented woman during their journey home. Most people can't read Spock at all, but she has him pegged, he loved the linguist. Jamie liked the two of them together. That woman was almost Vulcan in her logic and intellect and yet she was so human.

"Jamie, Christopher." The three of them looked up to find Lady Amanda and Uhura heading their way, Spock's mother pulled her into a hug and then moved to hug Chris, "You look a lot better then I last saw you." Chris, Jamie and Uhura all smiled at that.

"Gimme some time and I'll be on my own feet again," Chris told her.

Amanda chuckled, "Well, you're almost as determined as your wife so I have no doubt you'll be running around after that little boy soon enough." Uhura gave them all a look.

"How did I not notice that?"  the communications officer asked. Jamie laughed and the Captain answered her.

"we're good at our jobs, same as you and Spock," Chris said. The surprise on her face was priceless, she knew that Jamie was aware of her relationship with Spock but she didn't know that Chris knew. Amanda changed the subject before any of them could elaborate.

"Members of the High Council are here," Amanda seemed almost annoyed, "I'm so glad I won't be the only human here." Jamie and Uhura chuckled as they all made their way to the dining area.

The High Council was a tad annoying. Luckily, all the humans in the room had practice in dealing with difficult people. Spock had once told Jamie what the council said to him to cause him to join Starfleet instead of attending the Vulcan Science Academy. The leader of the council was a jerk, plain and simple. They were okay until he brought up Spock getting married.

"I do not wish to marry T'Pring and she does not wish to marry me, we ended our betrothal four years, two months and one week ago," Spock told the room. Jamie knew that. She remembers when he asked for her advice, " _Jamison, I have a dilemma that requires me to ask you're assistance. I am… engaged. It is a Vulcan engagement that I was entered into as a child. I do not wish to marry her._ " She told him to follow his heart and he ended the betrothal.

"The last time you spoke to T'Pring, she was engaged, right?" Jamie asked.

"She married Stonn nine days ago. They were both off planet when Vulcan was destroyed," Spock said. Jamie couldn't help but smirk at Spock's comment, of course, the Elder had to open his mouth.

"There are many available women for you to marry. It is your duty to the Vulcan people," the man said. No one was expecting Sarek to speak up.

"Spock is involved with Nyota. You will not attempt to sway his mind. My son has not only upheld his duty to the Vulcan people but to the human race as well. For many years, you and your families treated my son as an outsider. To you, he was too human. And now, you want him to be included. Now that he and his human friend saved this world and stopped the man who destroyed Vulcan, do you include him. There will be no further talk of Spock getting married to anyone that he does not choose. If Spock and Nyota wish to marry, they will have my approval." Well hot damn.


	21. Chapter 21

_Chris_

"What are you smiling at, sweetheart?" Jamie asked.Chris smiled at his wife, she was sitting on the floor playing with their son.

"I'm glad I didn't take your advice," he told her. Jamie raised an eyebrow. "When I was on the Lake you kept telling me to go out on a date with that nurse. Saunders, I think her name was." Chris talked to Jamie as much as he could while the Lake was out. He told her about how Saunders kept flirting with him and her advice was to take the nurse on a date. " _She likes you Chris, what's the big deal? You never know, she could be the future Mrs. Pike." He chuckled, "That's sage advice from a 16 year old." Jamie laughed, "Well, according to Fed law, I am old enough to get married. Honestly, Chris, I've seen too much crap in this universe to not go for something, I refuse to have regrets. Ask yourself if you'll regret it later._ "

"I'm glad you didn't listen to me, I would've been heartbroken if you can home with a girlfriend. I wouldn't trade being your wife and the mother of your child for anything. You always wonder how you got so lucky but I'm the lucky one. You found me."

Charlie decided to jump in, "Found mama."

Chris smiled at his son, "Yea, I found mama. I'm a lucky guy, buddy."

"Lucky daddy."

_Jamie_

" _The Admiralty Board has decided to uphold the field promotion made by your commanding officer, you are hereby granted the rights and privileges of the rank of Captain. You are to report to Rear Admiral Christopher Pike, USS Enterprise, for duty as his Executive Officer_."

She really shouldn't be surprised, Chris and Jamie talked about this for weeks before the orders arrived, so she knew they were coming. The brass offered her command of a small ship but she turned them down to stay on the Enterprise. Chris decided to stay as well, she's not sure what he said to the admirals but he talked to her after he made his decision, " _Greatest thing about being an admiral is the option to pick your ship and since you built this one for me, there's no way in hell I'm letting someone else take command_." He was walking with some assistance and Bones says he'll be on his own feet before the ship is ready. Once the Enterprise is repaired –she and Scotty were working on it- they were all going back.

Chris officially offered the senior staff their jobs. Spock was staying on as science and second officer, Sulu as chief helmsman, Chekov as chief navigator, Uhura as chief communications officer, Scotty was the chief engineer, Bones –begrudgingly- accepted chief medical officer, Kelso transferred over from the Yorktown and joined Chekov's team with Kevin, and Jamie was the first and tactical officer. Most of the crew on the ship was staying, there were few who turned Chris' offer down; his father was one of them.

Charlie decided to stay in San Francisco, he didn't want to go back into the black. Jamie understood. Charlie liked space just fine but unlike her and Chris, it's not where he was meant to be. He had taken an assignment at the Academy; no one better to wrangle cadets then Chief Pike.

Because she was working on the repairs, Chris assigned Jamie the task of finding a spot for the school/daycare area. She found the perfect –safest- spot, it was literally the most central location in the saucer section of the ship. They were going to have twelve children on the ship, the youngest was one year old and the oldest was thirteen. Jamie was also working on the Captain, First Officer and CMO's quarters. The three rooms were next to each other and she had a few ideas on what to do with them.

"What are you working on, Jim?" her friend asked as he sat down. Jamie was meeting Bones for lunch, she decided to do some work while waiting for him.

"Drawing up the plans for our quarters."

He raised an eyebrow, "What about 'em?"

"I don't need mine. I'm converting it into space for Charlie and Joanna. I gotta move a few walls and add a door on your side. We'll be neighbors. I just don't want to separate them. They're like a smaller version of me and Sam, or me and Cody," she smiled, and as much as she knew he wanted to glare, he smiled too. Their kids were so much like them it was scary, they were bright, brave, adventurous and loyal to each other. Jamie had a feeling that Mini-Pike and Mini-McCoy were going to rule the universe.

"So, a five year mission. Who's bright idea was that?" he asked. When Bones found out, he gave her a death glare but otherwise didn't say anything, might've been all the brass that was in the room at the time.

"Technically, it was Archer's. Considering that he's the man who went to space back we didn't know much of anything about what was out there and explored things that no one would ever have imagined, I doubt any one could argue with him. Dude is seriously badass. I hope I'm that cool when I'm 138 years old," Jamie said. That earned her a laugh from her friend.

"Think you'll last that long, Jim?"

_Three Weeks Later_

The big story came when Jamie was with Scotty, Chekov and Kevin in Riverside. Monty called up to her, "Lass, you should see this." Jamie hopped down out of the Jefferies tube that she was working in.

"'Sup, Monty?" He nodded towards the screen, 'Enterprise Hero also Tarsus Four Survivor.'

"Is that true?" Jamie heard an engineer ask. No one was supposed to know about Tarsus, how did they get this information? Kevin looked at her.

"How?" the kid asked. She shook her head and grabbed her comm.

"Answer, answer, answer," she mumbled.

"Hey, Jimmy. I'm a little busy, so as much as I love you, make it quick," her cousin said. She rolled her eyes.

"It's public, Cody." He didn't ask what she meant, he just sucked in a breath.

"How?" he asked.

"I don't know, I'm gonna comm Chris and Archer. I just thought I'd give you a heads up, Kev and I just found out. Cody, I'm sorry. The only reason anyone went digging is because I had to be the damn hero," she muttered.

"This isn't your fault, Jimmy. You did the right thing, you always do. They should have asked before they released the information but it's okay. I have a case, after that I'm going to head home. Let me know what the Admirals say. I love you, cuz," Cody said. He always knew how to make her feel better.

"Love you too."

_Cody_

Her holo was everywhere; Jamie was a hero. And thanks to the news about Tarsus, people wanted to know everything about her, and it wasn't long before people started asking him –and Zane- questions. It got so bad that Jamie had reluctantly agreed to talk to the press if it meant that they would leave her family alone. Cody was sure that everyone in the Federation was watching this. Starfleet's office of Public Relations set up an interview with Lucy Delgato, this century's version of Barbra Walters. Spock agreed to do the interview with her and the rest of her friends were at the condo with Chris.

"Hey, it's starting," McCoy said. They all looked at the screen.

"It has been three months since the destruction of Vulcan. The two officers leading the charge against the renegade, will discuss what was going through their minds, what it took to stop him and where they go from here. In their first interview, let us welcome, Captain Jamison Kirk and Commander Spock." Jamie and Spock were wearing the black academy instructor uniforms, sitting next to each other at a table. They looked good, Jamie like more serious version of herself. "Captain Kirk, Commander Spock, welcome."

"Thank you for having us. Glad we could be here, well I am. Spock is probably running a list through his head of what we could be working on right now," Jamie said. That earned a laugh; Jamie was using her charm.

Spock spoke, "We currently working on nineteen projects."

"I think we should just dive right in, Captain. What have you been doing since returning to earth?"

Jamie smiled, "Spending time with friends and family, working on the Enterprise's repairs and assisting Admiral Pike with forming a crew." Spock looked at the woman.

"I have been doing the same," the Vulcan stated before the woman asked. That question was fine but it was the only one as they got progressively worse through the interview, even Spock was getting agitated –Nyota noticed- and there came a point when they were all ready to throttle this Lucy chick.

"Do you think your experience on Tarsus Four has an effect on how you perform as an officer?" the woman asked. Jamie took a second before she answered.

"Everything that you go through in life effects who you are. Tarsus was horrific. I watched people who loved me die to protect me. I saw people killed for no reason at all by a man with a sideways view of humanity. One of my closest friends was six years old and every time I see him, I remember his mother handing him to me and fighting off the enforcer so that we could run. I remember the times my cousin and I didn't eat, making sure the smaller kids didn't starve. I remember the faces of the men I had to kill to protect them. I remember the men who tortured me for their location after I sent the S.O.S. I remember the feeling of safety that washed over me when a Starfleet officer found me and literally gave me the shirt off his back." She took a breath, "It's all a part of who I am. The scars that no one sees. You can let it break you, or you can choose to use it to do better. I use it."

Everyone was shocked silent. Cody looked over at Kevin, the kid had tears in his eyes. Cody remembered when Jamie and Percy came back to the cave with seven kids. Kevin clung to Jamie and she just held him. Mister and Misses Riley lived down the street from them and knew his dad. They had been on the colony since it started, its where Kevin was born. Cody always thought they were nice and even though he was small, Kevin would try to hang out with the bigger kids. There were times when he would spot Jamie just sitting with the little boy, looking up at the sky. When food became an issue, Jamie would give up most of hers to the six year old.

"She doesn't deserve this. She kept me alive. She kept us all alive," Kevin whispered. Cody couldn't agree more. Jamie spent enough time dealing with people who thought she wasn't anything more than George Kirk's daughter but no one ever bothered to really look at who she is, she didn't deserve this. Especially now, she saved the world.

Cody remembered what Jamie was like when she first arrived on Tarsus; she was beaten, under-weight, heartbroken and ready to die. He swore that he would never let anyone hurt her like Frank did. Looking around the room, Cody smiled at the fact that she held her head high, worked her ass off and created the family she never got to have. She loved these people and they loved her back. She once told him that, " _they all remind me, every day, that I'm not alone. They are all different, but they all make me a better person_."

"Mama!" Everyone chuckled at Charlie as he and Joanna walked into the room. He climbed into Zane's lap, "that mama and Uncle Pock?" Cody watched as his husband kissed Charlie on the head and allowed the small child to sit on him.

"Yea, lil man. That's mama and Spock." Cody smiled, he was going to miss having Jimmy, Chris and Charlie around when they left for that five year mission. He was going to miss all of them, if he was being honest.

"How long 'til Spock loses it?" Cody asked. He wasn't as close to Spock as Jamie was but he was still his friend. Anyone who knew Spock was well aware that you don't mess with his mother, his girlfriend or Jamie. Lucy was going at them hard and Jamie put on a good front but he could tell that she wasn't happy. Spock was harder to read but Nyota could see the cracks in his armor.

"I give the laddie five minutes," Scotty said from the other end of the couch.

McCoy, who was sitting on the floor with his daughter, shook his head, "Nope, she's pissing Jamie off. Spock won't let it go on for much longer." The southern doctor was right, it was less than two minutes when Lucy asked the question that pissed Spock off.

"There are many people wondering how you came to be in command of the flagship and if it wasn't because of family ties. Admiral Pike was the youngest Captain at thirty-one years old. You just broke his record at twenty-five. Is it safe to say that who your father is played a role?" Spock twitched, not good. Cody knew that this lady was poking the bear, as the saying goes. Jamie was a hero who earned her strips. Cody watched as Jamie smiled and answered.

"I was assigned to the Enterprise as First Officer a year before the ship was even finished. I worked for Starfleet for almost a year before I enlisted. After my actions on the Farragut and the commendations that came from those actions, I was offered XO spots all over the fleet but I couldn't pass up the chance to serve on Enterprise. During the Narada incident, the captain left the ship, leaving me in command and Spock as my XO. I've known Admiral Pike for a long time, he was proud when the brass decided to let my field promotion stand, he always thought I'd break his record," she told the other woman.

Chris chuckled, "I said that years ago. I was right." Cody always thought that she was going to blow everyone out of the water, she had to. Her parents were heroes, to be anything less wouldn't sit well with Jamie. She never sought out being the hero, she was just the one willing to put it all on the line for the people around her, just like George and Winona had. Saving those kids on Tarsus was just the beginning for her, even saving earth wasn't the biggest thing she was going to do. Lucy didn't let it go.

"But you're George Kirk's daughter, isn't safe to say that your success in the fleet is because of your name?" Jamie didn't get a chance to answer as Spock spoke.

"Captain Kirk has an outstanding service record. She worked for Starfleet prior to her enlistment, she assisted in saving one vessel and the crew of another during those nine months. We attended the Academy together, she was second in our class, I graduated ahead of her by only a fraction of a point. It is disrespectful to Captain Kirk and everyone she has served with to discount her dedication and abilities because of her parentage. Her accomplishments are her own."  So, this was the Vulcan version of cursing someone out. Cody could admit he never wants to be on Spock's bad side.

When the interview was over, Chris took a breath, "She's been going non-stop since we got back, between dealing with the Admiralty, attending all the memorial services, taking care of me and Charlie and working on the ship, she needs a break." Cody was going to speak up but his husband beat him to it.

"How 'bout we take the little guy with us?" Zane offered. Whatever argument Chris was going to have, died when he looked at little Charlie.

"I go with Uncle Z and Uncle Cody, daddy. I'll be good," Mini-Pike said. Chris smiled. Cody chuckled, guess that settles it.

_Chris_

"Where did they all go?" Jamie asked. He knew that Jamie wasn't expecting the near empty condo that she walked into.

"They decided to give us a break, Cody and Zane have Charlie," he told her. She let out a breath and took her uniform jacket off.

"Archer isn't happy, that is not what fleet P.R. agreed to. She managed to upset Spock, which not an easy thing to do. I've only seen it once in the seven years we've known each other and it was because someone was disrespectful to his mother," Jamie said with a sigh.

"Well Spock has dubbed you as family. She pissed you off, don't think I missed the flash of anger in your eyes." The thing about knowing each other so well is that he could see through her.

She shrugged, "I am pissed but to be honest, I'm more sad then anything, I expected it. I hoped that she wouldn't go there, that my record was enough, but I guess it's not." Jamie shook her head, "I'm starting to wonder if I'm ever going to be good enough, Chris. It's like my life is nothing more than the sequel to my father's. All the stuff I've done, everything I've survived, it means so much more then my name. I'm not George, hell, I don't even know a lot about him. I saved the world. I saved the world and all they see is him."

This is why he hated interviews. Jamie only agreed to do it so that they would leave Cody and her friends alone. Chris could see the tears in her eyes, he got up and stood in front of her.

"Look at me, J." The way he said it left her with no room to argue and she did as he said. "You are my wife, the mother of my child, a damn good officer and an amazing friend. You are so much more than your father's name. If the universe doesn't want to see that, it's their problem. Don't you ever feel like you aren't good enough, if you do, tell me and I'll set you straight. You have so many people who love you for who you are, not who your father was."

She smiled, "I love you, you know that, right?"

"I do know that. I love you more," Chris said as pulled her into a kiss. When he pulled back, she smiled.

"Nope. Not possible," Jamie whispered. He kissed her neck.

"Wanna bet?" he said as she slid her hands under his shirt.

She chuckled, "What good would betting do?" Chris smirked as she pulled his shirt off of him and continued, "In a competition of who loves who more, we both win."

"Very true," he pulled the black uniform undershirt over her head as she walked them to their bedroom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I kept her as XO even thought she was promoted to the rank of Captain. I didn't want to do that flip-flop from STID. Besides, on an Episode of TNG, Riker goes to another reality where he's an Admiral in command of the Enterprise. That whole line about Admirals picking their ships was my version of what Riker said.


	22. Chapter 22

_February 2259_

_Chris_

"You know what's crazy? This will be the longest we've gone without each other since you were ten and I was twelve. Remember to comm, stay out of trouble, send holos of Charlie and Joanna, and don't die on us. I'ma miss ya, Jimmy," Cody said to his wife.

Chris watched as the nearly inseparable pair hugged each other. They decided to do all their goodbyes at home in an effort to avoid the press. He, Jamie and McCoy were still going up in the shuttles but the kids were going to be beamed up to Scotty and Kevin, who were already on the ship. It wasn't easy to get to this point, physically, he had to prove to Starfleet that he could still do his job. Jamie, McCoy, Boyce and Phlox helped get him ready to stand walk and run on his own. The medical board was pretty impressed at his progress and approved his return to duty.

Standing in his home –Hobelia and Charlie were keeping an eye on it- he watched as his family said their goodbyes. Zane was standing with Charlie in his arms.

"You look after mama and papa, little man," Zane said. Charlie smiled big and nodded his head. "Gonna gimme a hug?" Charlie wrapped his little arms around the tall Texan.

"Can I have one of those? I don't know what I'm gonna do without hugs from my favorite nephew," Cody asked. Charlie giggled as he hugged his uncle. Joanna was holding hands with Amanda and Hobelia.

Jamie smiled at her, "You can't bring them with you Jo, but I promise you can comm and send messages." The little girl nodded and hugged his step-mom and Spock's mother. After another round of hugs and goodbyes, Spock spoke.

"Admiral, Captain. It is time to depart," Spock told them, he was the one keeping track of the time. He opened his communicator at Jamie's nod. "Mr. Scott, two to beam up."

_Spock_

He did not fully understand the fascination with their ship's departure. He understood that it was news worthy but the crowds of people who were not press, Starfleet officials or family confused him.

"We're young, attractive and heroic, Spock. PR is loving this, I bet recruiting jumps because of us. They're ready to put you and me on recruitment materials. As annoying or confusing as it, we represent the future of the fleet and people want to see us with their own eyes," Jamison said.

"That is acceptable," he said to her. Before Jamison could respond, Christopher spoke from next to her.

"Alright, you guys ready?" the admiral asked. Spock nodded, McCoy grumbled and Jamison chuckled.

"You kidding? I was born ready," she quipped. That was an accurate statement, using the information from his older self; it appears that Captain Kirk is a legend in the other reality. What made Kirk such a good officer was his ability to surround himself with the best people and to use their skills and knowledge. Spock had seen his Kirk do the same. From the moment she introduced herself, she behaved as a leader. She was not overt in her actions –unless it was to make a point- but everyone she befriended was the best in his or her field and seemed to follow her without realizing it. During the Narada incident, she used everyone's strengths to formulate a plan and added her own skills to the finished product. They executed the mission without any flaws and at the time, Spock's assessment was that Jamison's training was exemplary, he was now aware that her training was only a refresher for her real-life experiences.

_Jamie_

"Jamie, Lee, Spock!" She turned to find Dana and Tom Mitchell heading their way. Most people were kept away from the crew but they were allowed through to see their son's friend off.

"Mister and Misses Mitchell," Spock greeted the couple.

Jamie gave them each a hug, "I'm so…"

"Don't you dare tell us that you're sorry again. Gary knew the risks of what you kids do. You were his friends and he loved you. Knowing my son, he would be happy that you all made it, even though he didn't." Jamie nodded at the mother of her lost friend. Gary's private memorial was the hardest for their group, Spock even got a little emotional. Dana took Jamie's hand, "We went through Gary's affects. I found something that I think he would've wanted you to have." Dana handed Jamie a necklace with a Saint Joseph of Cupertino charm on it; she smiled at the memory of her friend. " _What is that?" Jamie asked, pointed at his necklace. Gary smiled, "Saint Joseph, he's the saint of pilots and astronauts, among other things. I guess it's my good luck charm_."

"Ma'am, are you sure?" Jamie didn't want to take of a part of their son from them, Mister Mitchell put a hand on her shoulder.

"We're sure. Gary thought that thing brought him luck, he'd want you to have it. Please be safe out there. All of you," their late friend's father told them. Spock, Jamie, Lee and Chris all promised to be careful and went to board the last shuttle.

_May 2259_

The Enterprise had been out in the black for three months when they got the comm to head to Rigel VII. They were going to represent Starfleet in to admitting the Rigellians into the Federation; they were also going to take in the festivities for a little shore leave. Of course, it all went to hell pretty fast and now three crew members were dead, and seven others were in sickbay.

Chris, Bones, and Chris' yeoman Cusack went down to the planet to meet the Prime Minister. They got to watch the Rigellian Festival of Light while they were waiting for Etashnan. Eventually, Chris went with the minister's aide Talza to visit the location for the ceremony that would make Rigel VII a Federation world. Chris had given Cusack the all clear for more crew members to go down to the planet, most of the off duty crew members went; Spock and Uhura were among them.

"You're not going down there, lass? I would think that this was your thing." Scotty was sitting with Jamie in the lounge, going over one of their crazy experiments, she was going to answer him when Hawkins entered the room.

"Ma'am, I just lost contact with everyone on the surface. Chief Kyle is reporting that the transporters aren't functioning either," the officer told them. She looked at Scotty.

"That's why I didn't go down there. Scan for them. See if you can figure out where the disruption is coming from. Scotty, help them out, I'll be on the bridge," she ordered. Something on the planet was blocking communications and transporters. Jamie didn't want to blindly launch a mission with two thirds of the crew were on planet. She and Scotty were trying to come up with a solution. It was almost two hours before the comm came to life.

"Ma'am, you might want to hear this," Hawkins told her.

"…rprise, this is Cusac… attacked by Kaylar. Admir… Zemtar fortress. I disab… disruptor… ltiple crew injured," the transmission from Cusack said. The Kaylar was the other race of the Rigellians, they were bred to be warriors but due to the planet joining the Federation, they would no longer be allowed to wage war.

Jamie took a breath, "Are transporters back up?"

"Yes ma'am," came Hawkins' reply.

"Have a dozen security officers and Lieutenant Kelso meet me in Transporter Room One. Sulu, you're with me. Scott, you have the con," she ordered. Jamie took Hendorff and his friend Henderson with her and she left Kelso in charge of the rest of the security officers and Sulu. His team beamed down to where the majority of the crew was hiding, her team went to Pike. Man, there's something to be said about good timing.

Jamie and her team arrived at Chris' location just as a group of Kaylar were moving in on him; he was pinned under the body of another. The three officers took down the group that was advancing on their commanding officer.

"You alright, sir?" Jamie took his face in her hands, checking the cut on his head and scanning him for any other injuries.

"I'm okay, Kirk. The others?" he asked. Sulu had let her know that they had found everyone but Cusack. He went to the parliament building to disable the disruptor. There were two dead and seven injured crew members at the other team's location. Chris gave the order to beam everyone up while he, Jamie, Hendorff and Henderson headed to his yeoman's last known location.

_Chris_

"Why? None of this explains why Talza. You killed and hurt members of my crew, my family, and for what? If you all didn't want to join the Federation, all you had to do was petition," he said to the woman. It was all a set up by Rigellian extremist traditionalists who felt that joining the Federation would eliminate a part of their society. "You got what you wanted. I have to advise my superiors to deny Rigel VII's admission to the Federation. All it cost was the lives of three of my officers. Get her out of here." How could he let this happen? Chris didn't figure out the trap until it was too late and his crew paid the price. Cusack –Dermot, his first name was Dermot- was a good yeoman and a genuinely nice person. The other officers were a geologist, Lieutenant Hardy and a young security officer, Ensign Toth.

"Give us the room, gentlemen," Jamie ordered the security team out. "Chris, look at me. This is not your fault. There was no way to see it coming until it was too late. They each performed admirably. Toth was helping other officers, Hardy was helping Bones patch people up and Cusack gave his life to send me that message. They're heroes, Chris. You have nothing to blame yourself for. Come on."

They checked on the injured crew members together, they saw Spock first. Jamie sighed, "He's in that healing trance thing. Never seen it before but he told me about it." Chris nodded at her quiet words and watched as she touched Spock's hand. "You're the one who's supposed to stay out of trouble." After talking to many of the officers, they went looking for McCoy. He was in his office patching up Uhura's leg.

"You should've come to see me sooner What's with all of you thinking you're invincible?" the doctor asked.

"That's enough, McCoy," Chris ordered. "She was assisting the security team in getting everyone back, add to that Spock being in your sickbay and I would say that the lieutenant got to you as soon as she could. We lost three crew members today; I highly doubt Uhura thinks she's invincible." McCoy nodded at Chris and looked at Jamie.

"I'll deny it if ya'll say anything but I was terrified down there. How do you do stuff like that all the time, Jim?" the doctor asked. Chris glanced at Jamie, who chuckled and sat down on the couch next to Uhura.

"You want the truth, Bones?" Jamie asked. McCoy nodded and Uhura made a move to leave. "You can stay, LT, Spock knows this already. Truth is, Bones, I never had a choice to be anything but a fighter... a survivor. You know that my step-dad was abusive, you just don't know how bad. I learned how to function without food or sleep and through pain when I was just a kid. I know it annoys you when I say 'I've had worse,' but I have, not everything is in my medical record. I'll give you the rest of it since Tarsus isn't classified anymore. Back to my point, getting raped by your step-dad and then watching him beat your brother to death for trying to protect you is a pain you can't even begin to imagine. Then Tarsus happened and it wasn't just my survival, I had all those kids to think about. It's why I went tactical even though I could easily be an engineer. I keep going because somebody has to fight the good fight, might as well be me."

_Three Hours Later_

"What did the brass say?" Jamie asked as he walked into their quarters. Chris was tired, and he was blaming himself. He knew Jamie could tell, she's blamed herself for lost comrades a few times.

"They are upholding my recommendation; Rigel is not joining the Fed. Barnett said he'd handle the notifications for Cusack, Hardy and Toth. I am ready for this day to be over. Hey little man." He picked up Charlie and just held him.

"It's past his bedtime but I figured you would want to see him. I'm gonna put him to bed." Chris nodded and kissed the small child on the head.

"Love you, buddy," he told his son as Jamie reached for him.

"Love you, daddy."

_Jamie_

"Sir, it appears to be an old radio distress signal, it looks to be set to cause interference and attract attention. According to the message, there are eleven survivors," Uhura informed Chris from her station. It had been two weeks since the battle on Rigel VII when the ship encountered a space distortion on a collision course. Further examination showed that it was sent eighteen years ago from the Talos star group.

"Guess we should take a look. Helm, lay in a course, warp seven and punch it," Chris ordered. Jamie had no idea what they were heading into and a feeling of unease settled over her.

"Sir, I need you to sign this," Chris' new yeoman, Colt, said. Jamie doesn't know who's idea it was to send him a twenty year old woman to replace Cusack but the way Colt looked at Chris was going to be an issue. The crew knew they were married, as long as it didn't affect their decisions, it didn't matter. This new girl, obviously, didn't get the memo. After Chris signed the PADD a dozen times. Colt thanked him and left the bridge. Once they reached Talos, Chris decided to lead the away team. He took Spock, Bones, Hendorff, and Tyler with him.

"You have the ship, Kirk," he told her.

"Aye, sir." She took his seat as he left the bridge. Jamie hoped that this would be an easy mission… which is why she knew it wouldn't be.

_Chris_

"Sir, they're in good health, almost too good." Chris nodded at McCoy's assessment; there was something off about this whole thing. One of the survivors, a girl named Vina had said to him that he was a 'prime specimen,' for what, Chris didn't know. Theodore Haskins, one of the survivors offered to show him what the big secret was. Vina took his hand and led him away from the others but before he could tell her to head back to the camp, she vanished. So did the scientists and their campsite. The next thing Chris felt, was the blow to the head that rendered him unconscious.

_Jamie_

"It appears that this was a trap. They have taken the Admiral," Spock said, his voice was calm to everyone but her and Uhura. One. Jamie just wanted one mission where they showed up, everything was handled as planned and nobody got hurt or captured.

"Options, Mister Spock?" she asked him. They cycled through a bunch of solutions, the one they did try, using the ship's power to blast Chris out, didn't work. Spock saved the day by finding the Talosians' power generator. Jamie, Uhura, Spock, Sulu and two security officers were on the pad to beam down, but only Jamie and Uhura materialized in the cell that Chris was being in.

"They use illusions and telepathy. They've been trying to attach me to her," Chris nodded toward the girl, Vina, when he realized that Jamie and Uhura were really there with him. "They want to breed the new generation, I guess they decided to give me a choice." Jamie and Uhura looked at each other when Vina spoke from her seat.

"They aren't necessary, send them back," the girl pouted.

"I hate to break your heart but I'm his wife. He would never pick you, not even in the illusions... which, I'm assuming, is why they brought the two of us down here. According to the records, you're older then you appear, Vina. I'm almost certain that you're in on all this," Jamie told the other woman. The smile on Chris' face told Jamie that she was right all the way around. Jamie was running different plans through her head when Chris spoke.

"I'm gonna take a nap," he told the women. Jamie watched as he sat down, leaned against the wall and closed his eyes. She smiled and sat next to him, Uhura followed along, sitting on his other side. Reading his body language, Jamie could tell that Chris had a plan, all they had to do is wait.

They had been feigning sleep for about twenty minutes when one of the Talosians tried to take their weapons. They used them in an attempt to escape but nothing happened, Jamie was now realizing that what happened was all part of the illusion. As soon as the Talosian got close to her, Chris grabbed her phaser and put to the alien's head.

"It's all an illusion, the weapons not only work but they work well. Let us go or I will kill you," her husband growled. If it wasn't for the situation, Jamie would kiss him.

A moment later, the illusion dropped and the hole that she and Uhura put through the wall was there. The three of them made their way out of the room only to find that their communicators didn't work and the Talosians had some kind of hold on the ship. Chris offered to stay if they let the ship and crew go, Jamie set her phaser to overload and told them that she's die before being kept in a cage.

"I've been there, done that, got the scars to prove it," she told them. She also wanted them to let the ship go. If killing herself was the only way they'd do it, she was willing to make that sacrifice.

"Their kind has a universal hatred of being captives, even if it's pleasant. Let them go, they would not work for our needs,"the group's leader said. The Talosians shared a look between themselves before the comms beeped. Communications had been restored.

"Do you want to leave?" Jamie asked Vina.

"No," the woman said. "I was hurt when the ship crashed, they are keeping me safe." Jamie nodded as the illusion dropped long enough to show her true face, she was badly deformed.

Chris opened his communicator, "Three to beam up." It only took Kyle a second but they were on their ship again. Home, sweet, home.

"That place is dangerous, gotta warn the brass," her husband said. Jamie nodded at his statement just as Colt, Spock and Bones walked into the transporter room.

"Oh my God, sir, are you okay?" Colt was falling all over herself to check on Chris. Jamie and Uhura shared a look.

"Yeoman Colt. You are new aboard the Enterprise and may not be aware of the crew's interpersonal relationships, it is my duty to inform you that Admiral Pike is married to Captain Kirk. Any further flirtations would not be acceptable behavior,"  Spock told her. The look of mortification on her face was priceless.

Jamie laughed, "What is with all these girls throwing themselves at my husband, today?"

"Can't really blame them, Jamie. Your husband is awesome," Uhura told her with a nudge.


	23. Chapter 23

_August 2259_

_Jamie_

"Hello, Captain Kirk!" the group of children greeted her. She couldn't help but smile at all the kids.

"Hello, all you small people," she replied. Jamie was in the school/daycare area to pick up Charlie and Joanna but it appeared that they were in the middle of something. Jamie watched for a while as all the kids finger painted.

"Want to paint with us?" A little girl that Jamie knew to be Lieutenants Wexler and Ramsey's six year old daughter asked her. There was no way she was going to turn down an invitation like that.

"I would love to, Sara. I've never really painted before so you kids gotta show me what to do," Jamie said.

She painted a bunch of pictures with the kids. Some of their parents were surprised to find the ship's XO covered in paint, laughing with the children when they came in. Jamie had so much fun. She didn't know who started it, but at some point, they were painting on each other. The teachers tried to stop the kids from painting on her uniform but she just laughed them off, " _It's okay, the sonics get rid of worse messes than this_." One of the teachers took a bunch of holos of Jamie covered in paint, it was on her uniform, her arms, legs and even her face but she had a huge smile. Those holos shot through the crew like wildfire, their first officer gained a whole new level of respect, especially from the kids' parents. They loved the fact that she remembered the smallest members of the crew.

_Chris_

"You three have fun?" Chris asked her, Charlie and Joanna as they entered the shared CO/XO quarters.

"We did Uncle Chris; you should come play with us, too," Joanna said.

He smiled at her, "Only if you promise to keep the paint to yourselves, Jo. Though, I think the orange and green looks good on ya." He saw the holos but looking at them in person, you would think that they got more paint on each other than the paintings. Jamie chuckled as she ushered the two kids towards the bathroom and into the sonic shower. After she got herself and the kids cleaned and settled in Charlie's room, she sat next to Chris on the couch.

"Is that what being a kid is 'posed to feel like?" Jamie asked. Chris thought about it for a second. He knew that even though she got to hang out with other kids her age on Tarsus, she didn't go to school like most of them and related more to the adults. She played chess and poker and never really did things like finger paint.

"I think so. I did stuff like that when I was younger," he told her. He couldn't stop himself from smiling at the look of childlike wonder that crossed her features, giving him him a glimpse of the childhood she should've had. Painting with her brother or playing baseball with their dad. She missed out on so much, sometimes Chris felt like he robbed her of her youth, too. "Do you ever wish that you married someone younger than me or waited until you were older?"

She looked at him, the shock was evident, "I never really thought about it in terms of age. Yes, you're fourteen years older than me but it never really registered. I mean, from that very first day, you were always just Chris. I was never really a kid, sometimes I feel like I'm older then you are. You didn't steal my youth, if that's what you're thinking. Frank and Kodos beat you to it." Jamie kissed his  cheek, "It's sweet that you asked though."

Chris chuckled, "So, wanna tell me how you ended up covered in paint?"

A few days later, Lieutenant Wexler approached them in the galley, "May I have a moment, sir, ma'am?" Chris nodded at the lieutenant, who continued, "I just wanted to say thank you, ma'am. You made Sara's day.  She hung that painting you gave her."

Jamie smiled, "I'm glad she had fun."

"You'll do it again, right, ma'am? Hang out with the kids?"

Jamie nodded, "I will. I had a blast, and more importantly, so did they."

_Jamie_

"This is the Apollo; it's registered to the USS Cortez. The plot thickens." Jamie was leading an away team on Darien 224 in search of a missing ship, the team had stumbled on a downed shuttle; it wasn't an answer but it was a clue. "Enterprise, come in. Enterprise, do you copy?" There was some kind of interference and she couldn't get through to the ship.

"There is a significant amount of atmospheric radiation on the planet. It may be the cause of our communications issue." Leave it to Spock to state the obvious.

"Since we're here, let's look around. Bones, gimme a boost," she told her friends. Bones grumbled but helped her climb up to access the hatch on the top side of the over turned shuttle.

"What are you looking for, Jim?" the southerner asked.

"Clues, Bonesy, clues," she answered. He rolled his eyes and moved away from the shuttle. Jamie was searching for any hints as to what happened when she heard a holler and a scuffle, she popped the hatch on the weapons locker and grabbed a phase rifle. She jumped up just in time to shoot the unknown assailant who was charging towards Spock and Bones.

"Nice shot, Jim." The doctor made his way over to Kingcome, the security officer was dead.

"Captain, we are not alone," Spock sounded worried and not just to her. Hendorff, Henderson, Bones and Shinobi all glanced at her, she was looking at Spock.

They were holding their own against the group of attackers that they couldn't see, all of a sudden the enemy assailants got blasted from nowhere.

The leader of this new group spoke in Vulcan, "You must come with me." Bones and the security teams looked at her and Spock.

"Stand down guys," Jamie ordered. They all followed the mysterious man. Why is it that every time they sent an away team somewhere, the shit hit the fan? Jamie did a visual scan of the area, it's a settlement of some kind. "What is this place?" She asked the man.

"The Last-of-all-Cities. I am taking you to our Matriarch," he told her.

Jamie looked at Spock, "Thoughts, Commander."

"This appears to be a pre-Surak settlement. These Vulcan are unlike any we have ever encountered, they have been here since before my people sought logical enlightenment." She nodded, that's what she was afraid of; logical Vulcans are one thing, illogical Vulcans can be dangerous. They were lead into a room where they were introduced to T'Kell, the Matriarch. With her was the Cortez's CO, Captain John Stone.

"Captain Stone, I'm Captain Jamie Kirk, XO of the Enterprise. Can you explain to us what's going on?" she asked the officer. The Enterprise had received orders to look for Stone and his crew after they had been missing for months. Jamie was only on the away team because Chris didn't want to go. T'Kell and Stone told the team about the Vulcans that had crash landed on Darien 224 over two thousand years ago and they've been isolated ever since. While the main colony is ready to rejoin the universe, however, there is a group of warriors that want to stay isolated. They even butchered most of Stone's crew.

"It's the hyper-weapons that's the problem," Stone said. Jamie looked at Spock who explained.

"Weapons of that kind have been outlawed on Vulcan since we chose to embrace logic. Captain, I am concerned that given their lack of emotional control, if these Vulcans joined our colony, it could destabilize New Vulcan," her friend said.

"Are you suggesting that we aren't good enough to rejoin our own kind?" Sutek, the Vulcan who saved them, interrupted, "And what is New Vulcan?" Jamie explained the Narada incident to the Vulcan.

"It was… there are no words. I'm sure you all had a feeling of great loss last year. That was the planet being destroyed. Spock isn't saying that you aren't good enough. You must understand, what's left of the Vulcan people is still in a state of shock. Most of the survivors lost everything and everyone that they have ever known. Many of their bonds were ripped apart. I'm not even Vulcan and I felt it." Jamie hadn't thought about it at the time, but later, she and Amanda had come to the conclusion that it was her closeness to Spock. What happened was so catastrophic that it carried across even the lightest bonds and Selak had confirmed that they did have a bond.

She could see that Sutek was still infuriated by Spock and the state of the Vulcan people, but he chose to let the argument go. Bones came over from where he was speaking with some of the other Vulcans, they had managed to make contact with the ship. "Jim, the Enterprise is under attack."

_Chris_

"Sir, they're preparing to fire. I've never seen this kind of weapon before," Sulu notified him from the helm. Uhura had managed to contact the away team for only a moment, long enough to confirm that they weren't all dead and to notify them that they were under attack. The Cortez fired and almost instantly, multiple systems went down and the shields failed.

"We have a boarding party on the ship, sir. They appear to be Vulcan," Uhura told him.

"Understood, Lieutenant." Chris didn't like this, they were being attacked by the very Starfleet vessel that they were sent to find. "Mister Chekov, disable the frequency modulator for the Cortez's shields. As soon as they're offline, Mister Sulu, fire photon torpedoes."

His orders were followed perfectly and it worked. Sulu hit the artificial gravity generator when he fired and the Cortez stopped all aggression. Chris ordered repairs to begin, the boarding party issue was being handled by security and the kids were safe, Chris couldn't end the school's lockdown if he wanted to. The way Jamie set it up, it took three senior staff officers, only one of them could be the parent of any of the children; that way Chris, Jamie and McCoy couldn't lift the lockdown themselves.

"Get me status reports."

_Leonard_

"Sensors indicate that the Enterprise has survived it's engagement with the Cortez," Sutek notified them, Leonard still didn't want to be here.

"Does that mean we can get the hell outta here?" he asked the Vulcan.

Sutek shook his head, "Not with Darien's atmosphere. You will have to wait."

"Well that's just great. I blame you for this, Jim. 'It'll be fun, Bonesy. It's a mystery.' Last time I fall for that." Jim just smiled. He wanted to wipe that look off her face.

"Ya done, doc?" she asked.

He rolled his eyes, "Yea. I'm done."

"Do you allow all of your people to speak with you in that manner?" T'Kell asked her.

Jim shook her head, "No. He's my best friend so he gets a bit more leeway than most people. Besides, I know he's just worried about the children on the ship." Leonard was glad she didn't specify that they were parents, he didn't like these Vulcans. T'Kell and Sutek looked at their team.

"Why would you have children on a warship?" T'Kell asked Jim.

"The Enterprise is an exploration vessel. We have the means to defend ourselves, however, we are not on a mission to wage war," Spock explained. His answer seemed to anger Sutek.

"You mean to tell me that you have all of this advanced technology and you do not use it for battle. What kind of Vulcan are you? You follow this… human child around like you are her slave." Hendorff and Shinobi stood closer to Spock while Leonard and Henderson stood with Jim. Spock was getting angry.

"You will cease your disrespect towards my T'hy'la. You do not wish to experience what happens if you do not," the half-Vulcan growled. Leonard had no clue what that term meant but Sutek must have because he flushed green and apologized to Jim.

"What is a Ty hay lay?" he whispered to Jim, Leonard had to ask. She smiled and whispered to him that it basically meant she was Spock's family. He was sure that there was much more to it, he'll ask later.

_Chris_

"Five dead, twenty-nine injured, sir." Nurse Chapel was McCoy's favorite nurse, even though they had other doctors on the ship, McCoy left her in charge of sickbay. She was damn good at her job and a pro at wrangling Jamie in sickbay.

"Thank you, Chapel. Mister Scott?" Chris looked at the engineer.

"Ships circuits took one hellava hit by that bloody Vulcan weapon. Shields were spared the worst but we cannae survive another attack like that. We can reroute all power to shields and sensors. Don't wanna be sittin' ducks next time they attack but it'll be close until I can put our lass back together." Chris gave him the okay and ordered that they continue repairs, they had no contact with Jamie's team but he knew that she'd do whatever was necessary to keep her team alive and get back to the ship.

_Jamie_

"I do not trust them, Jamison," her friend whispered. She couldn't agree with Spock more. They were given rooms to wait in, but they decided to stick together. Jamie had an uneasy feeling about the people in the colony, it's like these Vulcans were just waiting on something.

"I suspect that T'Kell plans to go to New Vulcan with telepathic weapons as conquerors," she said. The other officers looked at them, Shinobi spoke up.

"Ma'am, that would mean…" he trailed off and a look of horror crossed the security officer's features. "Oh God." Yea, telepathic weapons was a way to attack without even getting close, it was going to be bad. Before anyone else could speak up, Sutek showed up to take them to T'Kell.

T'Kell was standing near a large structure, "It is called the Tabernacle of Sharp Conflict. There are many weapons inside of it, most of them bladed and bloody. The weapon of most importance is the Vorl-tak. It's a psionic weapon." Spock was right, telepathic weapons were not good. "Here is what is going to happen, Captain Kirk, you are going to fly your shuttle back to your ship and make arrangements for the relocation of the colony. While en route you will also act as bait for the Cortez, drawing it into our sights. The Vorl-tak will harness the planet's gravitational field as a psionic amplifier and destroy the Vulcans on the ship."

"You could destroy this planet. You would be better served turning the weapon into an impulse engine. There is no need to resort to genocide," Spock told the woman. He was right but Sutek hit him anyway, he continued his assault but Spock didn't strike back.

"Stop," Jamie yelled before she jumped into the fray. If Spock doesn't want to fight back, she was more then happy to. She landed some good hits but the phasers pointed at her team, stopped her cold. "Fine, I'll do as you ask, just leave them alone and keep him away from Spock."

_Chris_

"Sir, I have Kirk on comm," Uhura called from her station.

"Open the channel, Uhura. Kirk?" 

"Man, am I glad to hear your voice, sir. I'm in the Columbus and the Cortez is on my ass," Jamie told him. Sure enough, she was in the shuttle and on her way back but she under attack by the Cortez.

"Helm, move to intercept. Keep me updated on the Cortez's weapon status." After a few minutes and some fancy flying, the bridge was notified that Jamie had docked. She ran onto the Bridge.

"My team?" she asked Uhura.

"Nothing ma'am," the communications officer told her. After Jamie filled him in, Chris made a decision.

"Sulu, take us into the planet's atmosphere. We'll beam them up, Stone too. As soon as they're on-board, Kirk, you get those injuries checked out."

"You're worse than Bones, sometimes," she muttered under her breath.

_Spock_

He had attempted to sway T'Kell's mind but her passion was too great to be overcome by his logic. At the end, she told him to remember the Vulcans on Darien. Spock had hoped to spare them but they were determined to their course of action and paid for it with their lives, their weapon destroyed the planet.

"Are you okay?" Spock must have lost himself in his thoughts that he did not hear Nyota enter his quarters.

"I am… I am okay, Nyota. It was an interesting experience. They were my people, however, they were not. I am unsure what to do with this feeling of confusion and failure." She slid her hands around his waist and rested her head on his back.

"This isn't your fault, Kirk said they refused to listen to you. You tried, that is all anyone could've asked of you. Sometimes, it doesn't matter what we do, or how hard we try to save someone. They have to want to be saved."


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I liked the reboot video game. I changed some stuff but the mission is mostly the same, Kirk and Spock being badass. Guess I should repeat that I don't own recognizable characters, I wish. I have a huge crush on Karl Urban, that doesn't count though.

_September 2259_

_Chris_

The ship received a distress signal from Helios Station. All he knew what that it was a Vulcan science station, studying a binary star. "Sir, there's some interference from the star, no comms and no transporters," Lieutenant Uhura notified him.

Spock spoke from his station, "It is most likely the star causing the interference." Chris figured as much, he was left with few options,

"Kirk, Spock and Sulu. Head over, assess the situation. Begin evacuating the scientists," he ordered. After a round of 'yes, sir' the trio left the bridge to head for the shuttle bay.

_Jamie_

This was going to be awesome… maybe. Jamie and Spock changed into environmental suits and got into the shuttle, Sulu was going to fly them over and then standby.

"It's pretty," she muttered.

Sulu chuckled, "It's destroying the station and 'it's pretty' is all you got?"

She nodded, "I bet the star was there before the station was. There are some things that are beautiful, even if they're destructive."

"Like you?" the pilot asked.

"Exactly," Jamie said with a smirk.

The station was a mess. Jamie and Spock had to climb their way to the control room where they found some of the Vulcans. As it turned out, most of the team was on the other end of the station, they had to do a spacewalk… while avoiding the stellar storm that was destroying the station in the first place. On the other side, they found Captain T'Mar.

"Spock, it has been too long," the woman said.

"It is agreeable to see you as well, T'Mar. Jamison, T'Mar is a childhood friend. T'Mar, this is Captain Jamison Kirk, the Enterprise's first and tactical officer," Spock introduced the pair of captains. Jamie noticed that the woman was pretty, and like most Vulcans, she was intelligent.

"What is all this about?" Jamie asked. She was curious as to why the Vulcans would have stayed near the star so long that they got themselves trapped.

"We're working on something call the Helios Device. I'll explain more once we get out of here." Jamie commed Sulu, who had managed to get everyone else on the station into the shuttle.

_Chris_

"So, this Helios Device. What does it do?" he asked the Vulcan woman. Jamie and Spock brought T'Mar to the bridge with them when they got back. She had been explaining what they were working on.

"Helios was a part of the colonization efforts for New Vulcan. The station was harvesting power for the device but Surok shut it down, I do not know why. Perhaps it is because we unwittingly opened a Rip in space." That got Chris' attention.

"What kind of Rip?" he asked.

She looked at him, "Unknown."

"Sulu, get us to New Vulcan. If that's where this device and Surok are, it's the best place to start. When we get there, Spock and Kirk, you'll beam down with Captain T'Mar," he ordered. A device that caused Rips in space, not good. The last time something like that happened, Vulcan was destroyed.

_Jamie_

It was like they walked into another dimension. Everyone they encountered was in a daze, "Spock, what's wrong with them?" He did a scan with his tricorder.

"There appears to be a toxin in their systems," he told her. "I suggest using stun settings and hand-to-hand combat." Jamie nodded as they made their way further into the compound. Jamie and Spock met with Surok, who it also happened to be T'Mar's father. He explained to them that the station's power from the base was lost after they were attacked by creatures from the Rip who call themselves the Gorn. Right now, the duo was making their way through the locked down sections of the base to recover the infected survivors. The Gorn showed up and tossed a wrench into that.

"Where the hell are they coming from?" Jamie asked.

"I do not know." It was not a phrase that Spock used often.

They made it to the Helios Device just in time for a huge Gorn to grab it and Surok. They kept fighting, these things don't seem to give up. They made their way outside where a Gorn ship was dropping of more soliders. Jamie and Spock fought them off and jumped onto the ship; Spock landed on his feet, Jamie managed to grab the ledge. After fighting with these Gorn, the ship was hit by another one.

"Spock, my leg's done," she told him over comms. Getting dropped from a ship will do that to a girl.

"I'm on my way," was his reply. They landed a bunch of yards apart. Jamie was still shooting when Spock got to her, he wrapped his arm around her waist and half carried her to the medical center that wasn't too far from where they were. He quickly patched up her leg and Jamie kept watch for hostiles. T'Mar made her way back to them just as they were heading back outside.

"They're all over the place, time for the big guns." Jamie opened her comm, "Kirk to Enterprise. I need a torpedo strike, I'll even paint the target for ya."

She heard Chris' voice, "We're locking on, give us the word."

"Now," she called. Jamie and Spock watched as the advancing Gorn were wiped out by the ship.

"Enterprise to Kirk, we lost the interference, ready to beam you up, standby," Chris told them.

T'Mar looked at Jamie, "That means they're getting away with the Helios Device."

_Leonard_

Are we fighting these things? Leonard couldn't tell from sickbay. He was hoping that they weren't going after those things, sickbay was overflowing as is. He comm'ed the bridge.

"Admiral, we need to get these people to the nearest Starbase, we have more injured then we have room for," he told Chris. The man acknowledged him and ordered that they set course for Frontier 17, it was a nearby Starbase. This was something he's never seen before. It took control over these people, while some are violent, others are zoned out.

_Chris_

"I hate Daniels," Jamie groaned. Chris raised an eyebrow at the woman sitting across from him in his ready room. She continued, "He thinks my whole career is based on my name. The man insults me whenever we're in the same room. I have a better service record then he does and he's been in longer then both of us combined."

He chuckled, "You know that you're more than your name, so does everyone on this ship and most of the Federation. Don't let that asshole get to you, he's just jealous." The plan was to drop Jamie, Spock, T'Mar, McCoy and the infected off on the Starbase and go back for more survivors. "Try to stay out of trouble, please." He said to his first officer.

"That an order, sir?" she asked with a smile.

He chuckled, "In your case, yes."

_Jamie_

"We should quarantine these people until we know what we're dealing with." Bones was already hard at work, "You should stay clear, Jim."

She nodded, "Keep me posted, Bones." Jamie, Spock and T'Mar made their way to Commodore Daniels' office.

"Tell me one thing, did something come through?" Daniels asked without turning around. Jamie wasn't actually shocked that he knew, the man was shady and not just to her.

"Why am I not surprised?" She whispered to Spock in Vulcan.

"I assume that you're here because Helios caused a Rip. Did anything come through?" Daniels asked again.

T'Mar answered him, "We were attacked... they took my father."

"Then it works," the glee in the commodore's voice made her sick. She really didn't like this guy.

"With all due respect, sir. What the hell is going on?" she asked. Jamie has had it up to her eyeballs with Daniels.

"Unlike you, Miss Kirk. I didn't get my rank because my _daddy_ died in some heroic blaze of glory. Some of us had to earn our way in life." She really, really didn't like him.

"I more than earned my place, sir. People died back there," she practically growled.

Daniels stood, "I'm sure their sacrifice will be noted." Spock jumped in before Jamie said something she'd regret.

"Sir, you are aware that the hostiles have the device. If the Gorn learn how to use it, they will be unstoppable," Spock warned. The commodore looked at her friend.

"That's what you two are for. 'Rising Stars of the Fleet' I read somewhere. You're the heroes, you stop them and get the device back,"Daniels told them. Really, he should have 'Jerk' tattooed to his forehead.

"What have I done?" T'Mar whispered.

"You have shaped the future of Starfleet," the commodore said to the Vulcan woman. 'Don't punch Daniels, don't punch Daniels, don't punch Daniels' was Jamie's new inner monologue at the moment.

"T'Mar?" Spock sounded as shocked as she did that the Vulcan was involved.

"I didn't know it would do this, Spock. I was trying to rebuild our home," T'Mar told their mutual friend. Jamie understood that, unfortunately, Daniels got his grubby hands all over it. Before they could say anything, the proximity alarms went off. Daniels refused their help in notifying Starfleet and left them to figure out what to do, coward. T'Mar lead them through the mess hall to the labs.

"Jim, I'm surrounded by those lizard things," came her best friend's voice over her communicator. It took them a while but they got to Bones, "Took ya long enough."

"You know, just once, you could say 'thanks.' You're welcome, by the way. With all the other crap going on we came for you, first." The glare on his face softened.

"Thank you, Jim, Spock," Bones said.

She chuckled, "Wasn't too bad, was it?"

After they stopped the Gorn from accessing the computers and grabbed samples from the lab for Bones, they made their way to the shuttle bay. The base was too compromised, they issued an evacuation. The shuttle bay was filled with hostiles but the worst part was watching Daniels toss a crew member off a shuttle and leaving them all in the bay to fight off the Gorn.

"Commodore Daniels appears to be abandoning his post, Captain," Spock said. She took a breath between shots.

"I knew I hated that guy," she told him. They helped get people out but they became trapped when the door was jammed, "This is just great!"

"I do not understand what is 'great' about being under attack," Spock said.

She chuckled, "It's another of my illogical idioms, Spock."

The station's weapons were failing, they made their way to the power generators in an effort to cause an energy surge that could damage the Gorn ship. Jamie and Spock rescued a bunch of Starfleet personnel from damaged parts of the station on their way through it. They got to T'Mar, but it's too late; the Gorn grabbed her. In a move that is way more Jamie than Spock, the Vulcan tackled a Gorn while they're being beamed back to the Enterprise, bringing the creature with them.

_Chris_

"Kirk, contain that thing!" he ordered. Jamie and Spock brought back a gift from the station; a big, mean ugly gift that was running around the Enterprise.

"Working on it, sir!" she replied. Chris was monitoring the whole thing from the bridge, the Gorn made his way into the crew quarters. "Let us in and lock the doors behind us, Scotty," Jamie ordered into her communicator. Jamie and Spock were now surrounded by infected crew members, "Bones, we got more injured. Hope the antidote is ready."

"Scotty, Uhura, is there any way to give Kirk and Spock an advantage over this thing?" Chris asked.

Uhura spoke first, "I'm trying to monitor from here but he moves to fast."

Scotty jumped in, "If we had a blood sample we could get a better idea of where he is." Chris understood, he opened a channel to the pair.

"Kirk, Scott needs a blood sample," he told his wife. She acknowledged and sent Scott a sample a few seconds later. The creature went into the turbolift shaft.

"She's not going to follow that thing, is she, sir?" Sulu asked from the helm.

Chris chuckled, "We all know she will." And she did, Spock too.

"So, is it trapped with us, or are we trapped with it?" Jamie asked Spock.

"As it would appear, both." Chekov was working on shutting down the turbolifts so that the first and second officer didn't get killed by the ship.

"Sir, the creature is in the shuttle bay, he's locking us out of the system," Scott said. The engineer always has the best news.

Uhura spoke, "We have no control of the shuttle bay, sir." Jamie and Spock took him down before he could do anymore damage. They watched as Jamie held the creature down and Spock did a mind meld.

"We must report this to Admiral Pike," Spock said before Chris ordered Uhura to cut the feed.

They were a warrior race, destroying and conquering the species in their galaxy, they were contained until the Rip happened. They tortured and killed Surok and no one was under any illusion that they wouldn't do the same to T'Mar.

"We'll have to go through the Rip to get the device back. While there, you two will have to save T'Mar," Chris told them.

Jamie gave him a look, "You sure about that, sir. What about backup?"

He shook his head, "Too far away. If they figure out how to use that thing, we're all dead."

_Leonard_

How does he end up getting dragged into stuff like this? Oh yea, his best friend is damned sadist. Leonard was ordered to go with Jim, Spock and Sulu to the surface of this 'Gorn' planet. Of course, they got shot down for their trouble and then Jim and Spock jumped off a cliff. They were wearing jump gear, but still. Sulu and the security officers fixed the shuttle while he worked on the antidote, he had a feeling that they'd need it sooner rather than later. Sulu asked him at some point how he ended up on a ship if he hated space so much, the answer was Jim and Pike, but mostly Jim. " _Come on, it'll be fun_ ," she said. " _Who doesn't want to see the universe, Bonesy_?" And the clincher, " _Think of all the things that you'll get to research before anyone else_." He's been trying to figure out how Pike ever said 'no' to her, especially when she looks at you with those beautiful blue eyes. He could admit that he was a little bit in love with her, only a little. Pike's a lucky guy. It was kinda funny, he figured that Pike would kill him one day but the man just chuckled, " _I've known Jamie since she was thirteen, we've been through hell and back and then some. I got her heart, if you think her flirting with people and people flirting with her bothers me, it doesn't._ "

Watching her with people, especially Spock or Scotty, he noticed that she had a big brother/little sister vibe with them, and that's probably where he fit with her; even thought they were flirty. With Riley and Chekov it was a big sister/little brother vibe, she would kill for those kids; in Riley's case, she already has. He got pulled from his thoughts and his work by Sulu.

"Doc, we stunned it, but I think she's pregnant," the helmsman said. Sure enough, they had taken down a pregnant Gorn. Leonard attempted an emergency c-section. Man, those little fuckers bite. He told Jim when she checked in and she didn't even bother to hide her amusement.

"Glad you find that amusing, Jim. How are you two doing?" he asked her over the comm.

"We're peachy, Bones. Just peachy. Stay on comms in case we need ya," she told him.

"You got it, Jim." He kept working on the antidote and was just finishing up when they heard the grenade go off over the comm, not good. Sulu and the security officers loaded into the shuttle, he didn't know where they were heading, just that Jim and Spock needed them.

They all heard Jim yell, "Spock, NO!" before they both went silent. A few minutes later they could hear Jim again, "Spock, I'm your friend. You don't want to hurt me. Spock, you don't want to hurt me." He had to be infected; the Gorn must be making them fight each other.

"Mister Sulu, get us over there, NOW!" That girl could hold her own in a fight but Spock was bigger and stronger then her and unlike him, she cared if she hurt him.

"Fight it, Spock." She said some other stuff that Leonard didn't understand, he'd bet it was in Vulcan.

They got there just in time for him to shoot Spock. It was with the antidote but he could pretend for a second since the guy had Jim by the throat. Leonard dropped a weapons case for them, they had to clear a place for Sulu to put the shuttle down. The pilot gave them air support as they wiped out the resistance in the area.

"Sulu, run a scan for the Helios Device," she ordered as they hopped into the shuttle.

"It appears that they moved it to one of the ships," he told her. More bad news, just great.

"Jim, these readings are going nuts. Something's happening," Leonard told his friend. They all looked up to see a ship.

"I believe that the device has been reactivated," Spock always seemed to be the one with bad news. They needed to get back to the Enterprise, Jim gave the order to Sulu.

"What the Fuck?" Jim groaned. Leonard was thinking it as she said it. The ship was compromised, the only way over was a space jump with those rocket things that Jim loved so much. "We'll let you know when it's safe to come over." Bones nodded as he sealed the cockpit and opened the hatch.

"Don't get yourself killed, Jim, I can't fix that."

_Jamie_

That would have actually been fun is the ship wasn't in danger. They got in through a hatch in engineering and beamed Sulu and Bones over. They gave them a set of orders; Sulu was going to the officers' quarters to find a way to get the tethers off the ship and Bones was sent to sickbay. She tried to get Chris on the comm. with no luck. "Scotty, please be here somewhere."

"I can hear ya, lass," the engineer said. He gave her a status of the ship. The Gorn had the bridge, the warp core was down and life support was barely holding. She decided that the warp core was first, no way to get home without it. Jamie and Spock met Scotty and Keenser there. The little guy who once knew her dad wasn't the easiest to understand but they spoke engineering pretty well and fixed the core. The next big issue was the infected crew members. She had comm'ed Bones to see how sickbay was doing; he needed help. On their way to Bones, Sulu came over the comm with a way to get the tethers off.

"If we pulse the shields…" Sulu started.

Scott jumped in, "… we can disrupt the tethers holding the ship. The lad is onta something." She understood what they were planning.

"That's brilliant. Get on it, Sulu. but wait for my order. We need to get control of the ship and figure out where the hell  Pike is."

"Status, Bones." They made it medical without encountering any trouble, but the place was a mess and emergency lighting was on. "Got injured everywhere, Jim. We barricaded ourselves in but those damn things are persistent. I don't know how long we've got." That's just great. Jamie didn't know what they were after but if she had to guess, it was the antidote. If they could get the power back on, Bones could make enough of the medication to release into the ship's ventilation system. Jamie and Spock headed to the control room a few decks down. "Let there be light."

As soon as Bones was all set, she got a comm. from Kevin, "Captain, we're under attack. They have me and Pavel pinned down. We can't hold them much longer." She got their location and headed to find her baby brothers. Jamie didn't like fighting through the ship, they were literally having a fire fight in her home. Kevin and Chekov were in an observation lounge near sickbay with a few other crew members. Chekov banged up his leg pretty good; Jamie helped him up and pulled his arm over her shoulder. Kevin, Spock and the other two crew members, Shinobi and Price, helped cover them all the way to sickbay. "I'll patch him up, Jim." He handed her the vaccine, she and Spock took it to the environmental control room. Once the antidote was in the air, she gave Sulu the order to get them free.

"Spock!" Uhura called over the comm., "he wants command of the ship or they'll…" That explains why she can't reach Chris, he doesn't give up easily. "This could be a trap," she told her friend. Spock nodded, "If they harm her..." She was right there with him, Chris was up there too. "Let's go to the bridge."

_Chris_

He looked over at Uhura, the Gorn kept the two of them on the bridge, no doubt as bait. The problem with being bait, in this case, was that Jamie and Spock weren't that stupid. Even if they showed up, they'd have a trick up their sleeves. That's just how his wife operates.

"They won't help you," he said to the Gorn.

The thing yelled, Uhura translated, "They will or I'll kill you."

Chris laughed, "You think that'll work. You'll just piss them off and then they'll destroy everything to get to you. You aren't the first to try. The last guy didn't live long enough to regret what he did to me, they blew his ship all to hell and killed him." Chris wasn't really worried, he didn't want to die but this is the life he picked. He knew Jamie and Spock well enough to know that threatening the people they love was a very quick way to a short life.

There were times when he found himself a little envious of their relationship; they were truly like yin and yang. Spock was cool and logical while Jamie was warm and daring, they were both brilliant and the way they worked together was graceful and powerful. He was certain that no matter what happened to him or Uhura, they would not stop until the threat was eliminated. Jamie and Spock stepped onto the bridge, a little banged up but overall they were okay.

Uhura translated for the Gorn, "Pathetic creatures. I have allowed you too much freedom. Give us control of the ship or I will kill them both." He gestured towards Chris and Uhura, who had a blade near her throat.

"If you want control, I'll give you control," Jamie said calmly. What is she up to? Chris looked at her, she locked eyes with him for a second before tapping some commands into the helm station. The next thing he knew, there was a shuttle crashing into the viewscreen from outside and the room depressurized. Spock grabbed his arm and Jamie had Uhura as everything, including the Gorn, got sucked out. Jamie ordered the computer to repair the bridge and as soon as the breach was sealed they all hit the deck. "Like I would give them control of the ship, ha," Jim laughed. Chris couldn't help it, he pulled her into his arms.

"That's my girl," he whispered against her ear before he jumped into the command chair. "All hands, report to stations."


	25. Chapter 25

_Jamie_

"We only have about an hour before the Rip closes, I don't want to be here when it does. You two, get over to that ship and end this so we can go home. Please be careful." Chris gave them their orders, as much as it pained him to send her over there.

"We will," she told him. "I guess that means another space jump."

To get onto the Gorn Commander's ship, they were going to have to use the jump suits and hope they missed the debris in their way. Sulu –space ninja, that's her new nickname for him- shot a hole in the side of the ship for them to enter through. As they made their way through the enemy ship, they discovered enhancement equipment. "Bones, you got any thoughts?" she asked her friend.

"It appears that the Gorn are using genetic engineering. I'd bet you it's not only to make themselves better but to change the other species that they conquer. Be careful over there, Jim. Wouldn't want to have to cure ya of ugly," the doctor told her. Jamie laughed, leave it to Bones to lighten the mood.

"Kirk, you have to get a move on, we're taking massive damage, and shields are down to 30 percent," Chris warned her over the comm.

"Understood, sir," she acknowledged. They had to disable the targeting platform if the Enterprise was going to have a fighting chance. They hacked a tactical console and that disabled the ship's weapons.

"Thanks for the assist, ma'am, we may just make it out if here alive," came Sulu's voice over the comm.

"Happy to help, Sulu. Keep 'em safe." Jamie looked at Spock, "Okay, that's done, where would they be keeping T'Mar and Helios?"

Spock scanned the system, "It appears that they have moved the Helios Device and T'Mar to the core of the vessel. They have reactivated it." That's where they went. Jamie and Spock had to fight off the Gorn Commander to even get close enough to destroy the device. "I will keep his attention, you must destroy it. Those pillars over there are keeping it powered, you must disable them to get to T'Mar." Spock kept the large Gorn busy while Jamie blasted the Helios Device into nothingness. She freed T'Mar just as Spock killed the Gorn and the whole place started to collapse in on itself.

"Get us outta here, Scotty," she called into the communicator. A few seconds later the three of them were being beamed back to the Enterprise as the other ship exploded. Hopping off the transported pad, Jamie looked at Scotty, "If I wasn't already married, Monty…"

He laughed, "Yea, yea, lass. Get your arse to the bridge."

_Chris_

"Mister Sulu, get us the hell outta here, now." Sulu was already putting the commands in before Chris stopped talking.

"Yes, sir," the pilot replied. Jamie, Spock and T'Mar entered the bridge as Sulu maneuvered them back to the Milky Way just as the Rip was beginning to close.

"You three alright?" Chris asked.

"I am unharmed, sir," was Spock's reply.

Jamie went with the usual, "I've had worse."

And T'Mar said that "Seeing the doctor would be wise." Chris sent the trio to McCoy and after they made through the Rip, he ordered Sulu to head to New Vulcan.

"You have the con, Sulu. Uhura, with me." Chris and the communications officer entered the turbolift and he gave the command for sickbay. "You did an extraordinary job with the Gorn, Lieutenant."

She smiled, "Thank you, sir." Chris could understand what Jamie and Spock saw in Uhura as an officer and as a person. She was brilliant, compassionate, dedicated, loyal to her friends and crew, and she was dangerous when provoked. He knew she wanted to check on Spock, even though she wouldn't say it. The joys of being the officer in charge was that he could take her with him to sickbay and no one would bother to say anything about it. When they walked into sickbay, it was a mad house. "Chapel, where are they?"

The nurse looked up from the young engineer she was working on, "Doctor McCoy took them in a private room. We're low on space, so I think he's patching up all three of them in there together." T'Mar was the worst of the bunch, the Gorn had tortured her like Jamie had thought they would. Spock was had a bunch of minor injuries that didn't require medical attention. Jamie had a some minor injuries and she banged up her side.

"How bad?" he asked as he walked into the room. His wife looked up at the sound of his voice but it was McCoy who answered him.

"Bruised ribs. I gave her something for 'em. She should take it easy for the next two days. And no lifting anything, even Charlie," the doctor told him.

Jamie chuckled, "Can't promise that, Uncle Bones." The doctor rolled his eyes but didn't say anything. "How are the small people?" She hadn't had the chance to ask earlier. She knew they'd be safe but he could tell that she still wanted to know.

McCoy answered her, "Oh, they had a blast."

"Bones," she looked at her friend. Chris decided to intervene.

"They're okay. I think we need a few more of those areas on the ship." T'Mar looked around the room at them, McCoy spoke before she could ask.

"We got a dozen kids on the ship, they have a 'safe area.' When in lockdown, the room seals, it goes into self-containment mode with its own power and life support system. It has to be opened by multiple voice-prints. I can admit it's cool."

"I understand, this is a ship for exploring."

Jamie laughed, "Ow. Sorry, the last Vulcans we encountered practically called us crazy for not being a warship." T'Mar nodded.

"We're heading back to New Vulcan, we have some of the survivors on the ship in addition to you," Chris told the exhausted young Vulcan. "I'm recommending commendations for the whole lot of you. You all performed above and beyond. Chris was a proud commanding officer, this was the kind of mission that shows what crew is made of. It showed that the Narada incident was not a fluke, these officers knew what they were doing and they did it well. Without regard for their own lives, they did what was necessary to protect the Federation. Looking at the people in this room, he stopped counting how many times they put themselves on the line in the past two days. They all talked for a while until McCoy kicked them out.

"All right, let's leave T'Mar to rest. I'd pull you two off duty but I doubt you'll listen to me. Just don't do anything stupid and stay out of trouble," the southerner grumbled. He pointed at Jamie, "Especially you." Mock hurt crossed Jamie's features in that classic 'who me' look.

"Aww, you do love me, Bonesy," Jamie said. Chris watched as the doctor rolled his eyes.

"I have no idea why," McCoy told her. Chris laughed at them.

"Except you do, Leonard," Chris said.

The only thing more unlikely then Jamie and Spock's friendship, was Jamie and McCoy. She and Spock were oddly similar, they had different approaches to most stuff but in their differences was a symmetry; they fit. With McCoy, there was no real reason for them to be friends, they just were. The man was a medical genius but Jamie had never been a fan of doctors; Phlox and Phil were practically family so she ignored their profession. Before Leonard had custody of his daughter, he would drink himself silly when he wasn't in class or working and Jamie would let him sleep on their couch. " _How am I the responsible one? I'm younger than both of you_."

The more Chris thought about it, the more he saw the Jamie that Cody and Kevin knew, the girl from Tarsus, when she was with McCoy. She took care of people, McCoy needed her to keep an eye on him as much as the doctor kept her from getting herself killed. McCoy was a man who had nobody on his side, his ex-wife took the whole world from right under his feet and dangled his daughter over his head. Jamie gave him a team, a place to start, a reminder that he wasn't alone. When he offered McCoy the job as CMO, he expected a 'no' but the doctor just asked if Jamie was going to be on the crew, he would stay if she did. Most men would feel threatened by their wife's relationship with another man -or woman- but Chris understood it well enough not to be bothered, they needed each other. As much as McCoy grumbles, there wasn't much he wouldn't for Jamie.

_Jamie_

"Wanna go get Charlie?" she asked him as they got back to their quarters.

Chris looked at her, "Not right now. He's with Uncle Kevin and Uncle Pavel. Lemme see." He helped her pull the tank top over her head, his eyes roamed, stopping at the large bruise beginning to form on the left side of her torso.

"I'm fine, Chris. Doesn't even hurt." She knew that nothing she could say would make him feel better.

"I sent you over there," he sighed,

She nodded at him, "Yea, you did. I was the best person for the job and you know it. Who else could you have sent?" She was right and she knew that he knew it. They really hadn't run into many issues serving together. Yes, they had a couple of crew members that were picked up after the Narada who questioned the two senior officers being married to each other, their ability to do their jobs and other crew members backing them up had put a quick end to the detractors. He always sent the best people for the job, in this case, Jamie and Spock were the best options he had.

She was so lost in thought that she was only half expecting it when he pulled her into a kiss. One hand at the small of her back, holding her against him, his other hand tangled in her hair. Slowly, they made their way to their bedroom without breaking contact. Jamie pushed his shirt over his head and ran her hands down his chest.

"I doubt that this is what Bones meant when he told me to take it easy," she teased.

Chris stilled, "I'm sor…"

"Don't finish that sentence, Christopher. I was kidding. So, I got banged up, not the first time," she said.

He looked at her, "J, are you…" She kissed him, he was going to try to talk her out of it but she wasn't going to let him, he wanted to be a gentleman –which was sweet- but she just wanted him. They shed the rest of their clothes quickly and made it to the bed. Chris kissed her neck and along her collarbone, taking in every cut and bruise she received during the mission. 

"Look at me," she whispered. When he brought his gray eyes to her blue, she smiled, "It's not your fault, Chris. We got pulled in the middle of something and we did what we had to do. This is not your fault." She pulled him down for a kiss, wrapping her legs around him. He brushed his fingers down her side causing her to shudder as he slid into her, his grip on her was firm yet gentle. It was like someone lit a fire against her spine, the warmth spread through her body as she moved to meet his thrusts. Chris closed his eyes and touched his forehead to hers.

Jamie could tell that he was scared, she didn't need to be a genius to know that. It was how she felt every time he left the ship, even more so when the Gorn held him and Uhura on the bridge. Jamie kissed his chest, his neck, his jaw, his lips as they moved together. She could admit that she was terrified when they went through the Rip, she didn't want to know what would've happened to them if they got trapped on the other side. His movements increased, they became faster, deeper, harder; she could tell that he was close, so was she. "Chris," she whispered against his lips; her body arched and her vision blurred as her orgasm raced through her, Chris followed a few seconds later.

Jamie wasn't sure how long they stayed wrapped up in each other but she knew they'd have to get up at some point; she wanted to see her son. The giant lizards made a mess of the ship; the thought drew a laugh from her. Chris gave her a look.

"Are you laughing at me?" he asked in disbelief. Jamie shook her head and kept laughing.

"Giant lizards or dinosaurs. Ha! We almost got wiped out by giant lizards." She was laughing so hard that there were tears rolling down her face, he looked at her for a second before joined in her amusement. As terrifying as the whole thing had been, there was some hilarity in the situation.

"I'm never gonna look at lizards the same again, J," he finally said.

"Me neither," she muttered.

_Nyota_

New Vulcan was a mess, hadn't these people been through enough. Uhura and the crew of the Enterprise were helping wherever they could, but for right now, she was going to join Lady Amanda and Kirk for lunch, they took Charlie and Joanna with them. Nyota had been pleasantly surprised to hear the little boy speak near perfect Vulcan when she first spoke to him, " _Uncle Spock taught me_ ," was the answer he gave when she asked where he learned it. She laughed when Kirk told her that the Admiral felt left out that because he didn't understand them.

She smiled at the stories of Spock and the almost four-year-old spending time together. Seeing it with her own eyes warmed her heart, watching Spock with Charlie and Joanna gave her a glimpse at what he would be like as a father. They had yet to talk about children, if she was being honest, they didn't talk about a lot of things. She was so worried that she asked Kirk for advice, the woman was Spock's closest friend. Kirk told her to give him time, " _Spock 'is a child of two worlds' as his dad likes to say. Most of the time, he's Vulcan with a dash of human. There are times when he can be very Vulcan and times when he can be more human than usual, right now those two parts of himself are in conflict. Between the Narada destroying his home and the colony on Darien 224 plus this whole thing with the Gorn, Spock's at war in his head. What I've been doing and what you have to do is just be there, don't push but don't walk away. When he's ready, he'll let you know."_ Nyota appreciated that she wasn't the only person keeping an eye on Spock. She liked that Kirk and Spock were friends, the adventurous woman got Spock to see his human side. Together, the two of them helped his humanity shine through. Nyota's thoughts were cut short by their arrival at their destination.

"Alright, Charlie, Jo, eyes on me," Kirk had knelt down to their level and spoke in that gentle yet commanding mama tone. "You guys know that Vulcans have emotions but they're very serious, even the kids. We have to be on our best behavior… even me." The two children chuckled, said 'Yes, ma'am' and 'Yes, mama' before they took each other's hands. They walked into the home of the Vulcan Ambassador to Earth and his aid met them inside, Kirk greeted him in Vulcan and told him that Lady Amanda was expecting them. Before he could show them where to go, Lady Amanda and Ambassador Sarek entered the room.

"You brought the children," the older woman said. Lady Amanda ignored her and Kirk to greet the little ones, Joanna smiled and Charlie laughed as they hugged her boyfriend's mother.

"Jamison, Nyota," came from Sarek.

"Hello, Ambassador," they said in unison. He looked at them both and then turned to Kirk.

"Jamison, as I am to understand it, you had a hand in preventing further destruction to this colony," Sarek said.

She nodded, "Spock and I ran into T'Mar and she needed our help with the device she and her father were working on. His death is such a lost for all of us." Nyota hadn't spoken to anyone about the details of the mission, although she got to read the reports. Surok was a great man by all accounts, one that Spock admired. She didn't ask about Spock's relationship with T'Mar but it felt like something had been there.

"Indeed, Surok was a great mind. You have my thanks on behalf of the Vulcan people," he said. Jamie nodded as Sarek made his way past them, he had a meeting to attend. He left the girls and Charlie to their lunch.

"He's an interesting man," Nyota said to no one in particular.

Lady Amanda laughed, "You have no idea, dear."

Nyota wasn't sure what to make of Sarek, he gave her and Spock his blessing to marry but other then that, she didn't really know him. Kirk had told her that the easiest thing to do was talk to him. At times, it seemed like Jamie was more Spock's girlfriend than she was. Sometimes she wondered what Spock and Jamie would be like as a couple. Anyone who watched them for five minutes could see how they work together, it was magnetic, one moves and the other counter-moves. Kirk had talked to her after the whole Nero thing about what she and Spock were to each other, she was relieved to know that the blonde had only ever viewed Spock as a friend or brother. Once she realized who Kirk was married to, the whole thing made a lot more sense. People wanted to link Kirk with anyone they could think of, Nyota remembered the fiasco surrounding her pregnancy. Spock was on the list of possible fathers with their friends Mitchell and Kelso, Kirk's cousin Cody -because someone dropped the ball and didn't check- and his husband, Zane were also on the list. That wasn't even the whole list, just the people they had holos for. What was funny to her was that nobody ever said that the then-Captain Pike was her husband and the father. It's not like people didn't know they were married and the information was in her file.

"Miss Ny," Joanna was trying to get her attention.

"Yea, sweetie," she knelt to the little McCoy's level.

"Are you and Uncle Spock going to get married?" Leave it to the kids to ask the hard questions.

"I don't know, Jo. I don't know."


	26. Chapter 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chris Pine and Bruce Greenwood both sing... that's seriously not fair. The song lyrics Pike sings are from Chris Pine's song Someday Came Today. It actually fits with Pine's version of Kirk. Youtube is crack.
> 
> I LOVE JJ Abrams... but STID had too many crazy plot bits that just didn't sit right with me, so, I'm changing the whole thing. Harrison is not Khan in my story... that's all I'm gonna say.

_Jamie_

"Christine, my favorite nurse in the whole universe…" Jamie started.

"Whatever you want, Captain, the answer is no."

Jamie laughed at Chapel, "You spend way too much time with Bones. I just wanna know where he is." The nurse pointed towards the CMO's office.

"He's in there, ma'am," Christine told her.

Jamie smiled, "See, you do love me. I heard you have a date with my favorite engineer when we get back. Don't let him talk your ear off about the ship." Christine blushed, she and Scotty had gotten pretty close, Jamie told her friend to go for it and ask the nurse out. Love must be in the air because Sulu and Gaila were going out now, too. Jamie made her way through sickbay, saying hi to all the officers she passed and walked into her friend's office, he didn't even look up from the PADD he was reading.

"Unless you're bleeding to death, go away, Jim," he told her.

"Bones, your attitude is starting to rub off on the rest of your staff. I come with good news. We're almost home, a few more hours. How are the crew members you still have?" The ship had taken just one too many hits this past year and HQ decided that they would do the repairs at Starbase One. They would only be near earth for a few weeks but it was something.

"Stable. You delivered your news, now get out of my sickbay," he said. Jamie laughed as she sat in the chair across from him.

"I'm ignoring your continued attempts to kick me out. When are you going to just going to realize that you can't get rid of me? It's not like you really want me to leave, anyway."

He rolled his eyes, "Is there any particular reason you're still here?"

"Yea, shift's over, time to go play with the cuter versions of ourselves, unless you want me to keep your little girl, forever and ever. Because I can, she's awesome." She smirked because he knew she how much she loved his daughter and Joanna was the best way to get him to do something.

"Alright, but I'm only going because I bet Jo is already in your quarters." They left sickbay and headed off in search of their children and her husband.

"…someday was a dream that always seemed to turn out wrong, but now it's not so far away. Putting off tomorrow is twenty-four hours too long, I guess my someday came today," Chris' voice carried through their quarters. They waltzed into Chris and Jamie's place and heard the kids laughing and singing with Chris. Jamie and Bones stood in the doorway to Charlie's room and watched the Admiral with Charlie and Joanna.

"Did you know he could sing?" her friend whispered. She nodded; it was on the list of Chris' secret talents that only family and friends knew about.

"He plays the guitar too," she told him. The first time she heard him sing, he had just returned from the Lake. She was reading some paperwork for her new job with Starfleet when she thought she was hearing things. He was singing in the shower, she always liked his voice so she leaned against the wall and listened. She teased him for a week but when he broke out the guitar, she was done. If she was the queen of telling bedtime stories, Chris was the king of singing Charlie to sleep.

"Are you two just gonna stand there?" Chris pulled her from her thoughts.

Jamie chuckled, "Well, I'm not even gonna try to sing with you."

Bones laughed, "Are you telling me that there is something that Captain Jamison Teresa Kirk Pike can't do? Oh, wait until I tell the others." She punched him lightly on the arm.

"I never said I couldn't sing. It's just not that great. And there's nobody to tell," she told him.

"Leave Aunt Jamie alone, daddy," Jamie stuck her tongue out at him.

"Listen to your daughter grumpy," Jamie said. He glared at her until Joanna spoke up again.

"Be nice Aunt Jamie," Jo ordered.

"Be nice mama," Charlie said a second later. That made the adults in the room laugh.

 Jamie sighed, "Yes, children."

_Charlie_

He was happy to have his family back, if only for a little while. He was sitting with Jamie on the porch at the house in Mojave; Chris, Hobelia and little Charlie were out by the lake.

"I can't believe how big he is," he muttered. They had been gone for almost a year, they sent holos but it wasn't the same. The ship had just finished with the repairs and the crew was due to leave next week. "How are you doin' out there, kiddo?"

Jamie smiled, "You know me, I love an adventure. It's good. We saw some really cool stuff and almost got killed a bunch of times… the usual." The stories that they told him about what happened out there was common for a ship on an extended mission. While most people would be worried for their children, Charlie knew better. They were both way too stubborn to die on any terms but their own. Jamie's communicator beeped, "Kirk." Charlie was going to ignore her conversation but she grabbed his hand, something happened in London. She closed her comm, "There was an explosion at the Kelvin Memorial Archive, forty-two dead. They're calling an emergency session of all the senior officers in the area." Charlie knew what that meant, it wasn't that nothing bad ever happened but an emergency session meant that the explosion wasn't an accident.

"Go, we'll keep Charlie here," he told his daughter-in-law.

She nodded and yelled for Chris, "Suit up, we gotta get to HQ." They both ran up to get dressed and each kissed their son goodbye. Hobelia hugged them both and told them to be careful.

"Charlie will be just fine with grandma and grandpa, right buddy?" He asked his grandson, who smiled big and told his parents to 'go save the world.'

_Chris_

"It's good to see you again, sir," Jamie said to Captain Kamnach as they all made their way into the building, he was happy to see her too.

"I always knew you would save the world one day," he said to her. His old CO wasn't surprised to find that they not only worked together but they were married to each other. They made small talk about the past thirteen years before arriving at the Daystrom conference room, Spock was there waiting for them. There was something on his mind, he pulled Jamie aside and they had a whispered conversation in Vulcan.

"Admiral Pike," Chris looked up to find Captain Frank Abbott heading in his direction. The former captain of the Hernandez and current captain of the Bradbury walked up and shook his hand.

"What's it been eight years?"  Abbott asked.

Chris nodded, "About that. How have you been, Frank?" Abbott told him about the change in ships and some other stuff that wasn't important before they were called into the room. Spock was going to wait with a few other officers in the conference room's lobby.

"Thank you for meeting on such short notice. Be seated," Admiral Alexander Marcus was the Admiral in charge of the fleet, the only people with more power were Admirals Archer and Reed. Everyone took a seat at his instruction, he continued as soon as the room was settled, Chris nodded at One and Shran who were sitting across from him and Jamie. "By now, you've heard about what happened in London. The target was a Starfleet data archive at the Kelvin Memorial Archive, now the whole thing is a damn hole in the ground. Forty-two men and women are dead. One hour ago, I received a message from a Starfleet officer who confessed to carrying out this attack, that he was being forced to do it by this man." Chris glanced at Jamie, there was something on her mind; something was up and she was figuring out what. He looked at the holo that popped up on his screen, Marcus filled them in, "Commander John Harrison. One of ours, he is the man responsible for this act of savagery. For reasons unknown, John Harrison has just declared a one man war against Starfleet and under no circumstances are we to allow this man to escape Federation space. You here tonight represent the senior command of all the vessels in the region. And in the name of those we lost, you will run this bastard down. This is a manhunt, pure and simple, so let's get to work."

Starfleet wasn't in the business of revenge and war, Chris was sure that Marcus was holding back information. The look Jamie and One gave him, told him that he was right. Marcus began speaking again, "Earth's Perimeter sensors have not detected any warp signatures leaving the system, so we know he can't be far. You will park your ships in a blockade formation and deploy search vehicles and landing parties to run down every lead. This man has shown willingness to kill innocent people, so the rules of engagement are simple. If you come across this man, and fear for your life and the lives of those nearby, you are authorized to use deadly force on the subject," Marcus didn't want him brought in, he wanted him killed.

"It's the bag," Jamie whispered in his direction. He glanced at the holo on her screen, Harrison went through all this trouble for whatever was in the bag.

"Chris, everything okay there?" the commanding officer of the fleet asked. He hated that Marcus used his first name, nothing he could do about it though.

"Kirk and I were just running through some ideas, sir. Sorry for the disruption," he told the other admiral.

"You got something to say, Kirk, say it. Tomorrow is too late," Marcus told her.

She nodded, "It doesn't seem odd to you that he targeted an archive? It's like bombing a public library. I ju... All that information is...is public record. If he really wanted to damage Starfleet, this could just be the beginning."

"The beginning of what, Captain Kirk?" Marcus asked, all eyes in the room turned to her.

"Sir, in event of an attack, protocol mandates that senior command gathers Commanding and Executive Officers, at Starfleet HQ, right here...in this room," she said.

Shran had caught on to what she was saying, "It's odd that this Harrison would commandeer a jump ship without the ability to go to warp." The next thing Chris notices, there was a red light flashing from behind him, Jamie stood and turned to look out the window.

"Clear the room!" Jim yelled to the officers. He and Jamie hit the deck at the same time and hecould tell that she was scanning the room from her spot near him.

Chris opened his comm, "We need air defense team, Daystrom conference room!" There were too many people in the line of fire.

"I'm goin' for One. She's hit," Jamie told him. He looked over at his former first officer and nodded at his wife; she hopped up, ran to One and pulled the woman behind a pillar. The defense team wasn't doing any damage, they were adding themselves to the casualties. Spock and the other officers he was waiting with were helping to pull people from the room, Kanmach was dead and Abbott was bleeding out in Spock's arms. Chris had lost track of Jamie when he moved to put pressure on Shran's wound. When the shooting stopped he was sure Jamie had something to do with it.

"Shran. Shran, wake up. Shran!" he told the Andorian.

"No, no, no, no, no," Jamie said as she made her way to them. "Stay with us, Valas, come on. Stay with me." Shran stopped breathing. Jamie was still trying to get him back, when she realized that she couldn't, tears rolled down her cheeks.

Shran was one of the first officers who ever saw who she was. The Andorian had let an eighteen year old Jamie run around his engineering department on the Yorktown, fostering the love she has of learning everything. Chris looked at Jen, the usually stoic woman had tears streaming down her face too. Looking around at all the officers they knew that were no longer breathing, Chris was sure that this Harrison guy was going to find out just what it means when you piss off Jamie Kirk.

_Leonard_

Getting called to HQ at this time of night was not normal. When he got to the Daystrom conference room, he was shocked to see the bodies of so many officers, Captains and Commanders just dead. Phlox was there patching up some cuts on Jamie's face. She didn't squirm or complain and Leonard was actually scared because he had never seen her sit still for a doctor since they've known each other. Something was very wrong. Pike was talking to Admirals Archer and Marcus and aside from some cuts and bruises, he looked to be okay. Leonard couldn't believe that someone would do this to a room full of Federation heroes. Captain One was sitting with Boyce, she had a huge gash in her leg and she looked to have been crying.

"Bones," Jim's voice broke through his thoughts. He instantly moved towards his friend.

"You okay, Jim?" he asked. 

She shook her head, "Not even close." Jamie pointed bodies out to him, "Kanmach was Chris' CO when they rescued us from Tarsus. That's Abbott, my mom's CO before she died, I helped save his ship once. You know Shran." She pointed to the body closest to One and Boyce. Bones had met the engineer on multiple occasions and he knew that he was Jamie's friend. "There are a few others I knew in passing. Eleven dead." She stood up, pulled him into a hug and whispered against his ear, "Something's up. Don't trust anyone you don't know." Leonard looked in her eyes when she pulled back; she was scared… Jamie doesn't scare easily. He nodded, grabbed a cloth and wiped the blood off her face.

_Jamie_

She was still standing in the conference room when Scotty raised her comms to tell her that he and Kevin found something. She couldn't believe it when he handed her the device. They -Jamie, Scotty and Johnny Loh- had designed this thing years ago on the Lovell. The equations worked but the device itself was still supposed to be in the planning stages but not only was it real, Harrison knew where it was.

"Scotty, don't tell anyone about this. Get it out of here, you are under my orders if anyone tries to stop you, Pike and Archer will back me. Take it somewhere safe," she ordered her friend. On her way into the building to find Chris, a familiar face grabbed her attention. Jamie looked around and followed her.

"We don't have much time. I put up a small disruptor so that no one could hear us. I'll make this quick, Captain. I think my father was involved with what happened yesterday," the other blonde said. Jamie nodded, she thought the same thing about the Admiral. This isn't the first time the two women have met, being the daughters of Federation heroes meant that people expected a lot from them. Carol Marcus was one of the few people who fully understood how Jamie felt being compared to her father all the time because she had the same comparisons to live down. Doctor Marcus was a weapons expert assigned to a research department in London, her father had her working on different things until a few weeks ago when he locked her out of the system they'd been using. One of Carol's projects was the explosives used at the Kelvin Memorial Archives. Jamie turned off the disruptor and opened a channel to her favorite doctor. He showed up a few minutes later

"What's up, Jim?" he asked.

"This is Carol, I need you to take her home and keep her safe. I know you aren't a security officer but if anyone asks, she's your girlfriend or something. Cody and Zane are at your place, have them take Jo to my in-laws and stay there. The shit is about to hit the fan," she told him. Bones would usually argue but the look on both women's faces stopped him. Jamie looked at Carol, "I'll have orders for you with your mother's last name. When the recall is issued, report to me." Carol and Bones both nodded at their orders and quickly exited the building. Jamie found Spock and Chris with Admiral Marcus. She told them that she and Scotty might have an idea of where to look for Harrison. She didn't give any details on purpose, she had a feeling that Marcus already knew where the operative went. The older Admiral spoke to the Enterprise's top three officers.

"As part of our defensive strategy, fleet intel has been developing a new photon torpedo. Long range and untraceable... they would be invisible to sensors. I don't want you or your crew to get hurt, but I want to take him out. You find him, he's sure to be isolated, your lock on to Harrison's position, you fire, you kill him and get the hell outta dodge," Marcus told them. Chris acknowledged their orders and they left the office. Chris pulled the open communicator from his pocket.

"You get all that, sir?" he asked.

"Every word, Chris," came Barnett's voice. "Your real orders, per myself and Admirals Archer, Reed and Komack, are to detain and question. Do not fire those weapons." Jamie wasn't surprised that Chris had comm'ed his friend, Jamie's communicator was open too and she had Uhura on the other end recording Jamie, Chris and Spock's comms, she knew it would come in handy. Chris looked at her, "Jamie, get the crew back to the ship." She nodded and spoke into her communicator.

"Uhura…" Jamie started.

"On it ma'am," came the communications officer's voice. Chris raised an eyebrow.

"I'll tell you at the condo," Jamie said with a smile.

_Chris_

He thought that he was getting lucky when his wife jumped into the shower with him –and he did- but she had intel to give him first and thought that this was the best place to do it.

"This whole thing is a set up," she whispered against his neck. "I have a feeling that Harrison is acting on orders, we have to find him before Marcus kills all of us. Harrison used gear that shouldn't exist yet, he went to the one place we shouldn't go and we have orders to take him out with weapons that have can't be traced back to Starfleet. Marcus wants to use us to start a war. The Kelvin Memorial Archives are real but the sub-levels are Section 31. Carol warned me before I got to Marcus' office, that's why I had Uhura on comm. I had her recording all three of our communicators just in case we need the proof later."

Section 31 is officially a nonexistent rogue agency within Starfleet that says they operate in the name of Federation security. There isn't a lot of info about what they do and those on their side say that 31 is an elite intelligence and defense agency that deals with threats to the Federation that official departments, such as the Federation Security Service or Starfleet Intelligence don't know about or can't do anything about. People like Chris and Jamie know better, 31 is dedicated to its own interests, regardless of the effect on Federation security.

"They tried to recruit me after Advanced Tactical Training. I think they tried for Sulu too," she whispered. It wasn't surprising, Jamie and Sulu had the skill set for it, they were masters in multiple areas.

They finished their shower, quickly dressed, sent a warning to his dad and headed to the shuttles. This is going to be one hell of a mission.


	27. Chapter 27

_Jamie_

"Admiral, Captain," Carol said as she and Bones met Jamie and Chris in the shuttle bay like Jamie ordered them too. She had filled Chris in that Carol would be better off on the Enterprise with them, she had more info then they did.

"Doctors. Any trouble?" Jamie asked. The weapons specialist shook her head in relief.

"No, ma'am," Carol answered. Bones looked at Jamie as they made their way to the shuttle.

"Jim, are we really going after this guy?" her friend asked.

"Yes, Bones, we really are," she answered. Harrison had the answers they needed to figure out what Marcus was up to. Spock was already on the shuttle when they got there.

"Who is she?" he asked.

Jamie smiled, "Spock this is Lieutenant Carol Wallace. Doctor of Applied Physics with a specialty in advanced weapons. Carol this is Commander Spock, ship's Science and Second officer." The two looked at each other for a second before Spock looked at Chris.

"You requested an additional science officer, sir?" Spock asked.

Chris nodded, "She's here because of the torpedoes that Marcus gave us. Kirk will fill you in on the ship." Getting to the ship was as peaceful and as beautiful as it always is, the wonder was short lived as they docked and walked right into a shouting match.

"No, I'm not signing anything! Now, get these bloody things off of my ship!" the engineer yelled before he sopped them. "Admiral!"

Chris looks at him, "There a problem, Mr. Scott?"

 **"** Aye, sir. I was just explaining to this gentleman that I cannae authorize any weapons on board this ship without knowing what's inside 'em." It was a valid point and Spock said as much. Chris nodded and glanced at Jamie and Carol.

"Mr. Scott, I understand your concerns, but we need these torpedoes on board," Chris said. Scotty was going to make this difficult.

Jamie looked at him, "Scotty we know." She gave a quick glance to the torpedo security officer, but her friend wouldn't let it go.

"Photon torpedoes run on fuel and we have no idea what type of fuel is in the compartments on these torpedoes, because it's shielded."  Scotty sighed, "I asked for the specifications, but he said..."

The guy standing next to the torpedo spoke up, "It's classified."

Scotty looked at her, "See, it's classified. So I said, no specs, no signature!" Before Jamie could respond, Sulu interrupted from the catwalk above them.

"Admiral." They all looked up at the helmsman. "Flight checks complete. We're good to go, sir," Sulu told him.

Chris took a breath, "Thank you, Mister Sulu."

 **"** Yes, sir," Sulu said before leaving them to their discussion.

Scotty took that as his chance to leave, "Now, if you'll excuse me, sir, I have a warp core to prime."Chris looked at Jamie.

"I can handle this, sir," she told him. Chris nodded, Bones, Spock and Carol followed him, leaving Jamie to follow the engineer. "Scotty!" She was actually glad that he moved because they were trying not to talk in front of the torpedo guard. "We need you to approve those weapons. I know, you're worried about the warp core's reaction if we use the torpedoes but we aren't even gonna load them. We were ordered to take them by Admiral Marcus, if we don't, someone else will and we think something is going on. Admirals Barnett and Archer ordered us not to use them, we'd start a war if we did. I know you're upset that they took our transwarp equation and now some madman is using it to hop a cross the galaxy. He didn't just find it Scotty, it was given to him. That officer who came on the ship with us has been working on those torpedoes, we brought her with us to keep an eye on them."

Scotty looked at her, "This whole thing scares me, lass. This is clearly a military operation. Is that what we are now? I thought we were explorers. I thought we..."

She cut him off, "How do you think I feel? This isn't what my father died for. And I bet Loh is rolling over in his grave about the transwarp equation. I'm not going to order you to sign for them, Scotty. But I am going to ask you to trust me... and Chris. You know we wouldn't do anything to put the ship and crew in danger." All the fight left him and his face softened, he grabbed the PADD and signed off on the torpedoes.

"Just do me one favor, Jamie. For the love of God, do not use those things."

She nodded, "We won't." That was one problem down. She went to her quarters to change and then she tracked down Spock, he was alone heading to the turbolift. He looked at her and she sighed. "She's Admiral Marcus' daughter," she said as she entered the small room. "Whatever's going on, she wants to help us stop him. The explosion, the shootout, she thinks her father is involved and I'm inclined to agree. He wants us to execute Harrison, which goes against everything that Starfleet stands for."

"The use of the surname Wallace is an attempt to shield her location from her father?" Spock asked.

Jamie nodded at his question. "He can't know that she's here, at least, not yet." They walked onto the bridge together; Chris was giving Sulu his orders, when he said 'Qo'noS', everyone on the bridge froze. Sulu double-checked before laying in the course and going to warp six, it would take them a day to get there.

"Uhura, open a channel to the whole ship," Chris ordered. She hit a few commands into her console.

"Channel open, sir," Uhura told him.

He nodded, "Attention, crew of the Enterprise. As most of you know, eleven officers at Starfleet HQ were killed yesterday along with Forty-two men and women at the Kelvin Memorial Archive. The man who is responsible has fled our system and is hiding on the Klingon homeworld, somewhere he believes we are unwilling to go. We are on our way there now. Per our orders, it is essential that our presence go undetected as tensions between the Federation and the Klingon Empire have been high, any provocation could lead to an all out war. Captain Kirk will lead a landing party to an abandoned city on the surface of Qo'noS, where she and her team will capture the fugitive John Harrison and return him to Earth so he can face judgment for his actions. Alright, let's go get him, Pike out." He looked around the bridge, "Kirk, Spock, Uhura, Sulu, Chekov, Kelso and Wallace, head to the ready room. Riley, you have the con." Scotty and Bones were already there when they entered.

Scotty spoke first, "What in the bloody hell is going on, sir?" Chris gestured to Jamie, giving her the floor.

"We are smack dab in the middle of a Section 31 plot to start a war with the Klingons," Jamie told the group. You could hear a pin drop as everyone in the room gave it a second to sink in. "The explosion at the Kelvin Memorial Archives was really the theft of a transwarp teleportation device that Scotty and I have been working on since I was eighteen. It's not supposed to exist yet, but Section 31 must have gotten their hands on the plans and equations from Starfleet Intelligence. I think Harrison was working under orders when he shot up the emergency session last night. He's one of our top operatives but Marcus wants us to shoot those torpedoes at him... from the edge of the neutral zone without talking to him... meaning he knows something." They all looked at each other.

Uhura spoke, "That's why you have me recording everything Marcus says to us." Chris nodded towards Carol.

"I'm Carol Marcus, Wallace is my mother's name. Captain Kirk is hiding my presence on this ship from my father. He has always been secretive, but recently he's taken it to a whole new level. My father gave me access to every program he oversaw, when I heard he was developing these prototype torpedoes, I went to confront him about it, he wouldn't even see me. Then he locked me out of the system after I discovered that the torpedoes had disappeared from all official records."

Bones spoke, "He gave the damn things to us."

Carol nodded, "Exactly, Leonard. I never knew what everything was for. I just found out that it was all Section 31 a few weeks ago and I've been trying to weed through the information. If only I had known maybe I could've done something." Bones touched her hand as she continued, Jamie was gonna have to ask him about that later. "The explosives that were used at the archive were something I was working on. He's has weapons and vessels that are so far beyond anything we've ever seen. My father..." she paused. Each of the officers looked at her. She had been betrayed by the one person she loved more than anything, but as much as she loved her father, she was still trying to help them stop him. "My father has been going on and on about how war with Klingons in inevitable. He's using this ship and Harrison to start that war."

"Why would Harrison agree to this?" Sulu asked.

Jamie answered that, "According to his file, he had an older sister. Lieutenant Alexis Harrison, she was a Starfleet officer who was killed at Donatu V while he was at the academy; I'm guessing that's where 31 got their hands on him. I doubt Marcus had to do much convincing." Donatu V was the location of a battle between the Federation and the Klingon Empire in 2245. Each side was fighting for control of the planet. The CO if the USS Republic came up with a flanking maneuver that allowed Federation forces to overcome the Klingons and forced a withdraw; neither side won but the fleet suffered over two hundred losses. Jamie remembered her aunt and uncle talking about it, they were worried that it was just the beginning of war with the Klingons.

"So, Marcus is using this Harrison guy's grief and anger at the Klingons to facilitate a war. That's just… wrong," Lee muttered. Jamie couldn't agree with Kelso more if she wanted to. She knew how Harrison felt, but she also knew that she could never wage war in Sam's name.

"What are we gonna do?" Bones asked.

Chris spoke, "Kirk is going to take a team down there and get him. We still have the shuttle from the Mudd incident, the team can take that."

Jamie nodded, "Spock, Sulu and Uhura will go down there with me, Henderson and Hendorff too. According to the coordinates that Scotty found, Harrison is hiding in the Ketha Province, it's a region that's been uninhabited for decades. Hopefully, we can go in under the radar and get out before anyone notices we were there."

_23 Hours Later_

"Please be careful down there. Don't get yourself killed." Jamie smiled and kissed her husband.

"Have a little faith, sweetheart. We'll be back before you know it," She whispered before she kissed him again and they made their way to the shuttle bay. Spock, Uhura and Sulu met them there. They walked to the shuttle that they had confiscated from Harry Mudd after they found him and his daughter selling Starfleet gear to a pre-warp civilization. Pike took the small ship stating that it would " _come in handy_ ," and they convinced HQ to let them keep it. Jamie walked up to Hendorff and Henderson and handed them each a small pack, "Lieutenants, loose the red shirts. We are K'normian arms dealers, put those on." Jamie and Hendorff had put the hard feelings aside after Helios. He had grown up since they met at Riverside and her actions with the Gorn had him seeing her in a new light. He told her that he thought that she just used her position as George Kirk's daughter and Christopher Pike's wife to slide up the chain of command and the Nero thing was just luck but watching her fight through the ship to keep everyone safe made him see her differently.

Hendorff looked at her, "Ma'am?" She knew what he was asking.

"Look, if this thing goes south, there can be nothing tying us to Starfleet. Unless, of course you wanna start a war, Mister Hendorff," she said.

He shook his head, "No, ma'am." Jamie looked at the other officer.

"Henderson?" she asked. 

"No, ma'am," was his quick reply.

She chuckled,"Good, me neither." Chris wished the six officers luck and left the shuttle bay. Jamie, Sulu and Spock took the three seats in the cockpit of the ship.

"You know what you're doing, right?" Sulu asked. Jamie laughed at his question.

"I'm flight rated on the Enterprise, just like you are. I got this. Besides, Pike taught me how to fly years ago." When Jamie was at the academy, she shot through so fast that she missed some practical application courses. Instead of waiting for the next one to roll around, she asked Chris to teach her during one of the times the Yorktown was in dock. It didn't take long and she tested out of taking the regular class, Kelso was so jealous. They had flown towards the planet, Spock was running a scan.

"I am detecting a single life sign in the Ketha Province. Given the information provided by Mister Scott, this is most likely John Harrison," the Vulcan told her. Jamie nodded and opened the connection to the ship.

"Sir, I think we found our man," she told Chris.

"Copy that, I'll let him know we mean business," he responded, a second later, they listened to him issue a warning. "Attention, John Harrison. This is Admiral Christopher Pike of the USS Enterprise. A shuttle of highly trained officers is on its way to your location. If you do not surrender to them immediately, I will launch the entire payload of advanced long range torpedoes, currently locked on to your location. You have five minutes to confirm your compliance. Refusal do so will result in your obliteration. Don't test me, it won't end well."

Uhura chuckled, "A bluff? He's a badass." That brought laughs from all of them, but Jamie agreed.

"Yea, he really is," she said. As they got closer to their destination, Spock spoke up.

"We arrive at Harrison's location in three minutes, Captain. It is unlikely that he will come willingly. I calculate the odds of him attempting to kill us at ninety-one point six percent," Spock told them.

Jamie rolled her eyes, "Fantastic." 

"Good thing you don't care about dying," She heard Uhura whisper from the back of the shuttle. Spock was in trouble. The two most logical people she knew were having problems. Spock was a less careful then he used to be and was putting himself in danger.

"I'm sorry, Lieutenant, I could not hear what you said..." Spock said. Jamie wanted to warn her friend but he needed to hash this out with his girlfriend.

"Oh, I didn't say anything. Actually, I'll be happy to speak if you're willing to listen to me," Uhura replied.

Spock spoke again, "Lieutenant, I would prefer to discuss this in private."

Uhura wasn't having it though, **"** You prefer not to discuss this at all, that's what you prefer. What never seems to require your undivided focus is us. You keep diving in but you never give a thought to us, what it would do to me if you died, Spock. You don't feel anything. You didn't care. And I'm not the only one whose upset with you, she is too."

"Don't drag me into this…" Jamie sighed. "But she is kinda right. I mean, I watched one brother die and lost another over Vulcan, it would break my heart if something happened to you too." Jamie had started to worry about her friend and his mother was worried too. She noticed that when they were fighting the Gorn how he tossed himself into things without much thought, in fact, he was acting more like her than she was. Spock took a second before speaking.

"Your suggestion that I do not care about dying is incorrect. A sentient beings optimal chance at maximizing their utility is a long and prosperous life," Spock said.

Jamie chuckled, "That isn't exactly a love song, Spock."

"You misunderstand. It is true I chose not to feel anything upon realizing that my own life was ending. As Captain Abbott was dying, I joined with his consciousness and experienced what he felt at the moment of his passing. Anger, confusion, loneliness, fear. I have experienced those feelings before, multiplied exponentially on the day my planet was destroyed. Such a feeling is something I choose never to experience again. Nyota, you mistake my choice not to feel as a reflection of my not caring. I assure you both, the truth is precisely the opposite," he told them. Jamie smiled but before either woman could respond, the shuttle was hit.

"What the hell was that?" Jamie asked.

Spock responded, "We are being pursued by a D4 Class Klingon vessel."

She shook her head, "I thought this sector was abandoned."

"It must be a random patrol, ma'am," Sulu told her. Jamie worked on maneuvering them out of danger.

"Hold on everyone!" she called to the others.

"This ship has no offensive capabilities," Spock warned her.

Jamie chuckled, "This thing has us. Sulu, give me all six fuel cells."

 **"** Aye, Captain." The helmsman gave her the power boost to the engine and she used it to evade the Klingon's weapons' fire.

"Dammit! They're still on us. Sulu, where?" she asked. He looked the screen.

"They are closing fast, bearing two-eight-five," he told her. She looked around, and noticed a small gap between two structures.

"Right there. We can lose 'em!"

Spock looked at her, "If you are suggesting that we utilize the passage between the approaching structures, this ship will not fit."

"We'll fit," she smirked.

"Captain Kirk, we will not fit," Spock reiterated his original statement. She was not giving up, she turned the ship on a ninety degree angle.

"We'll fit! We'll fit!" Jamie called. They barely scraped through the gap, and the Klingon ship exploded as it hit the structure, as the shuttle sped through it scraped against another building before finally emerging out from the other side. "See, Spock. I told you we'd fit."

Her Vulcan friend replied, "I am not sure that qualifies, Jamison."

"Sulu, any sign of them?" she asked.

He shook his head, "No, which worries me." Jamie thought about it for a second.

"Well, we either lost them, or they're jamming our scanners and this is about to get worse," she said. Just as the words came out of her mouth, the Klingons surrounded them. "Worse it is." Jamie could understand what they were saying, Uhura translated for everyone else.

"They are ordering us to land,"  the linguist said. Jamie understood what that really meant.

"In other words, they're gonna wanna know why we're here, then they're gonna torture us, question us, and kill us. And... we can't come out shooting. Uhura, fancy a face-to-face with a bunch of Klingon warriors?"

The lieutenant looked at her, "Guess we don't have much choice." Jamie stood up and unzipped her jacket, Uhura wasn't armed but Jamie had a knife strapped to her leg.

"Arm up but stay here… unless they kill us," she tried to put some humor in it but it didn't work. "Nyota, you'll take point. I'll be right next to you though," she told the other woman. Jamie and Uhura being the ones going to face the Klingons was as much tactical as it was practical. The Klingons won't automatically see them as a threat and they both speak fluent Klingon. The two women made their way over to the group of Klingons, Uhura spoke in their native tongue.

"We're here to help," she told the men. One of the Klingons approached them, and she continued, "With respect, a terrorist is hiding here in these ruins. He has killed many of our people." The warrior took his helmet off and looked at the two officers, Jamie and Uhura stood at their full height, ready to fight if necessary. The Klingon stared at them for a moment.

"Why should I care about a human killing humans?" he asked them.

Jamie answered, "Because you care about honor, and this man has none."

Uhura spoke again, "You and your people are in danger." Just as the words leave her mouth, he grabbed her face, Jamie didn't move from her spot before someone started shooting at the Klingons. Uhura grabbed his weapon and stabbed him with it, he dropped her and she moved next to Jamie. They looked over the shuttle and noticed that the guys had poured out of it, shooting. Jamie should keep a tally of which species try to kill her. They all fought hard, she saw Henderson as he went down.

"Hendorff!" she called. He looked in the direction she was pointing, his friend was dead. She pulled the security officer clear of the carnage. They all watched as the man that had initially attacked killed all of the Klingons. He made his way over to them and pulled his hood and scarf away from his face, "Harrison," Jamie whispered.

"Stand down!" Spock ordered, Harrison pointed his weapon at them. Spock aimed his weapon at Harrison and ordered him again to "Stand down!" Harrison shot Spock's weapon right out of the Vulcan's hands. The Section 31 operative looked at Jamie.

"Your torpedoes! The Weapons you threatened me with in your message. How many are there?" he snarled at her.

"Seventy-two. Why? Didn't think Marcus had it in him?" she could play his game. He paused and dropped his weapon.

"I surrender. Captain Kirk," Harrison told her. Jamie wasn't surprised that he knew who she was, she nodded.

"Spock, Hendorff, cuff him. Sulu, help me with Henderson, I'm not leaving him here," she ordered. The ride back to the ship was silent. A full security team and a group of medical officers met them in the shuttle bay, the security officers took Harrison to the brig and the medical team took Henderson's body while Bones gave their team a quick once over. Chris walked towards them.

"You all need to get cleaned up. Hendorff, let medical treat that then get some rest. Sulu get back to the bridge and start us back towards earth, Uhura contact Archer, Barnett, Reed and Komack. They need to know that we have Harrison. Kirk, Spock and McCoy, you'll be joining me when I talk to him," their CO ordered. They all gave him a 'yes, sir' and went about their tasks. Jamie stepped into the turbolift next to him, "You alright, J?"

She nodded, "I'm fine except for the officer I just watched die."


	28. Chapter 28

_Chris_

"Why the hell did he surrender?" McCoy just asked the million credit question. Jamie filled Chris in and he was as curious as the doctor was about it.

Jamie answered her friend, "I don't know, Bones, but he just took out a squadron of Klingons almost by himself. I wanna know how." 

"Sounds like we have a Superman on board," McCoy said.

"No such thing, but if anyone can figure it out, it's you," Jamie chuckled. Chris, Jamie, McCoy and Spock entered the brig and walked over to the cell where they were holding Harrison.

"Put your arm through the hole, I'm gonna take a blood sample," McCoy told the man, who complied. After he got his sample, McCoy took a step back. No one said anything for a moment, Harrison decided to speak.

"I think you'd find my insight valuable, Captain. If you ignore me, you'll get everyone on this ship killed," the operative told her. Jamie looked at Chris, he nodded his permission for her to talk the prisoner.

"Let me explain what's happening here. You are a criminal. I watched you murder innocent men and women. We were ordered to end you... and the only reason why you are still alive is because we're allowing it. You have two options, answer my questions or shut the hell up. Now, why did you surrender?" She asked. Harrison looked at her and they all looked at him. After a second, he answered.

"I surrendered to you because you have a conscience, Misses Pike. I know more about you than most people would even believe, the things you've seen, the horrors you've survived. If not for the Admiral here, you could've easily ended up on this side of the glass. Of course, I doubt you would've surrendered." Jamie and Chris shared a look.

Chris looked at the man, "Explain."

"I am not the person that Admiral Marcus wanted to lead his war. Do you think that your life has been nothing more than random catastrophes, Captain Kirk? Your unstable mother who was somehow able to return to space instead of a mental facility, the vicious Starfleet reject of a step-father who beat and raped you before he killed your brother with his bare hands, Kodos the Executioner's rampage and Hoshi Sato's death, the attacks on the Hernandez and the Lovell while you were on or near both ships. None of it was accidental. Marcus has been grooming you for war since you were a child." Chris could almost see it as all the air left her. Everything she's been through was on purpose. He wanted to hurt somebody, Marcus was a good target at the moment. McCoy and Spock both stepped closer to her and Chris. She looked at Harrison.

"Why did you kill the officers at HQ?" she asked. Jamie was being vague but Chris read into the question.

"Kamnach and Abbott were not the people you thought they were. Kamnach's job was to keep track of you after you left the Aldrin, that's why they sent Pike on the Lake, you two were extremely close from the moment you met. Sending him to the other side of the quadrant left you in San Francisco alone save your cousin, who was also on Marcus' radar. Abbott was the man who kept track of your mother, her death wasn't an accident; she was meant to find the leak in the warp core. You and Pike going over from the Yorktown was also part of the plan, the officer who resisted arrest was meant to kill Pike, Marcus didn't expect that you would kill him yourself. Your friend Shran wasn't on purpose and for that I am sorry, he was standing too close to Marcus." They were all confused.

"Why were you avenging me, or protecting me and what is Marcus planning for me?" she asked.

"My older sister was a young ensign on the Kelvin, she knew your father, he was one of the few people she truly trusted. She always said he was a good man and the only thing he loved more than the fleet was his family. I was seven when he died but she told me stories for years after that. I was at the academy for two years when she was killed and Section 31 recruited me. At first, I thought it was what she would want but when I got my assignment to monitor you, I realized that something was wrong. Why would I be keeping track of a hero's daughter? You were on our side, loyal to Archer's crew and to Pike. All these bad things kept happening around you, I recognized it for what it was, training. Marcus isn't done with you. Fortunately, I never disclosed where your in-laws took your son. Your cousin is a dangerous man in his own right, your son and your friend's daughter are safe with him." Jamie looked at Chris, than back to Harrison.

"You laid waste to the Klingons, how?" she asked.

 **"** Genetic enhancements, they make me faster, stronger and smarter than the average human. I'm meant to be better."

Spock spoke, "Better at what?"

Harrison looked at the Vulcan, "Everything. Marcus needed to respond to an uncivilized threat in a civilized time, but for that he needed a warriors mind, my mind, to design weapons and warships. He had hoped to utilize Kirk's mind and in a way he got it. You are quite the engineer, Captain Kirk." Chris knew that a lot of the things that Jamie came up with ended up with fleet engineering or with fleet intel, which means 31 could get a hold of it. Every equation, theory, computer code or piece of equipment she has come up with in the last eight years, at least, was ripe for the taking.

Spock spoke again, "You are suggesting the Admiral violated every regulation he vowed to uphold simply because he wanted to exploit your intellect."

"No, Spock," Jamie said. "Marcus wanted to exploit his savagery. Intellect by itself isn't worth anything in a fight, it's useless." McCoy, Spock and Chris all looked at her wide-eyed as she continued, "You wouldn't understand. You can't even break the rules, no one would ever expect you to break someone's bones. Take everything away from a brilliant man and then train him to be ruthless, you have the perfect warrior. If it wasn't for Chris, I would be Section 31, they tried, twice. The Admiral has a vision of a militarized Starfleet but without people like him," she gestured towards Harrison, "or me, it's just that, a vision." McCoy and Chris looked at her in shock but Harrison nodded.

"He sent you to use my weapons, to fire those torpedoes on an unsuspecting planet. The Klingons would look for whomever was responsible, and you would have no chance. Marcus would finally have the war he talked about the war he always wanted. All I had to do was kill the right people to get you out here." He looked at Chris, Jamie understood.

"Your orders at Daystrom were for Chris," she whispered.

"And Archer. I could not bring anymore harm to your family Captain Kirk, if for no other reason than you remind me of my sister. There isn't anything you wouldn't do for your family, just like Lex. Marcus was right, you will be at the forefront of the coming battle but you won't be on his side. I suggest that you have look at the torpedoes," the operative told them. The group left the brig.

"What do you think, Jim?" McCoy asked as Chris looked at her and he had never seen her look so heartbroken.

"What would you think if someone told you that every bad thing that ever happened to you was planned by a man who was supposed to be on your side?" she asked. Marcus wasn't her favorite officer but he was always nice to her and told her that if she needed anything to let him know. Chris knew that she didn't trust easily but she could have trusted Marcus if she gave herself the chance to. Why her? She didn't think she was that special. Of course, Chris told her that was what made her special but she still doesn't get it.

_Jamie_

"Are you out of your minds? You're not actually listen to this guy. He almost killed all three of you, and now you think it's a good idea to pop open a torpedo because he dared you to?" Bones was not happy and Spock was on his side.

"The doctor does have a point, Admiral, Captain," the science officer said. Jamie rolled her eyes when Bones spoke again.

"Don't agree with me, Spock. It makes me very uncomfortable," Bones grumbled. Chris and Jamie looked at each other.

"Perhaps you should learn to govern your emotions, Doctor. In this situation, logic dictates that we have..." Spock started but Bones cut him off.

"Logic! My God! There's a maniac trying to make us blow up our own damn ship, and you're talking about..." the doctor said just as Chris jumped in.

"Gentlemen, stand down. Let us pretend for half a second that Kirk and I actually know what we're doing. Alright, how are we gonna open one of the torpedoes?" he asked.

"Carol," was the answer his wife gave him. The woman in question joined their discussion in Chris' ready room.

"It's too dangerous to try and open one of these torpedoes on the Enterprise, but there is a nearby planetoid, I can open up one there. But I'll need some help, who has the steadiest hands on the ship?" she asked.

Jamie chuckled, "Bonesy, you're up." He grumbled but agreed to assist. The group came up with a plan and then went to the their separate ways, Carol and Bones to the shuttle bay, Spock to the bridge, and Chris kept Jamie in the ready room.

"How are you with all this? Don't give me a sarcastic answer either," he told her.

"I don't know how to feel," she answered honestly. "For right now, we have too much to do for me to dwell on it. I'll be ready when you need me." Chris nodded at her, he wasn't going to push. He stood up, walked around the desk and pulled her into his arms.

"No matter what, you are still you. And I will always love you," he said to his wife before he kissed her temple. She gave him a small smile and they both walked onto the bridge. It only took ten minutes for the shuttle to get to the planet. "Mister Sulu, have Doctors Marcus and McCoy landed on the planetoid yet?" Chris asked the helmsman.

He replied, "Yes, sir. They're moving the torpedo into position now."

Chris spun in his chair, "Lieutenant Uhura, did you get a hold of Archer or Barnett?"

She nodded, "Yes, sir. They said that your orders to get Harrison back to earth, stand. And I have the channel to the shuttle open, sir."

"You know, when I dreamed about being stuck on a deserted planet with a gorgeous woman, there was no torpedo," Bones said.

Jamie laughed, "Oh my God. Bonesy, are you flirting? I never thought I'd see the day." Everyone on the bridge snickered, especially when Bones spoke again.

"So, how can these legendary hands help you Dr. Marcus?" the grouch asked.

Chris chuckled, "McCoy, focus." They all listened as Carol explained.

"To understand how powerful these weapons are we need to open the warhead. To do that, we need to access the fuel compartment. Unfortunately for us, the warheads on these weapons are live," the weapons expert said. Bones turned on the charm that Jamie didn't even know he had.

"Sweetheart, I once a performed an emergency C-section on a pregnant Gorn. Octuplets. Let me tell you, those little bastards bite. I think I can work some magic on your missile," her friend told the other doctor. Jamie looked at Chris, who was trying not to laugh.

"Leonard," Carol pulled his attention back to the task at hand. "There's a bundle of fiber optic-cables against the inner casing. You'll need to cut the twenty-third wire down. Whatever you do, do not touch anything else. Do you understand?"

Bones was serious again, "Right. The thought never crossed my mind." They can all hear the doctors moving around.

"Okay, Doctor McCoy, wait for my word. I'm re-routing the detonation processor. Are you ready?"  Carol asked.

"And raring," Bones replied. They heard Carol wish him luck, the next thing they heard was a scream.

"Sir, the torpedo just armed itself," Sulu told Chris.

Jamie looked at her console, "The warhead's gonna go in thirty seconds! Bones talk to me."

"What the hell happened?! I can't get my arm out!" Her friend's voice rang through the bridge.

Chris stood up, "Get their signal, beam them back right now." Jamie knew that wasn't a good idea, Spock confirmed her feelings a second later.

"The Transporter cannot differentiate between Doctor McCoy and the torpedo. We cannot beam back one without the other," Spock said. Chris spoke to the duo on the surface.

"Doctor Marcus, can you disarm it?" he asked.

"I'm trying, sir. I'm trying," she told them.

Bones spoke up, "Jim, get her the hell out of here!" Jamie looked at Chris.

"No. If they beam me back, you'll die! Just let me do it!" Carol yelled at him.

"Standing by to transport Doctor Marcus on your command, sir," Sulu said.

Bones was counting down, "Four, three..."

"Deactivation successful, sir," the helmsman told them. Jamie spoke before she could catch herself.

"Doctor McCoy, are you alright? Bones?"

He replied quietly, "Jim, you're gonna wanna see this."

_Chris_

"You mean to tell me that all six dozen of those things have Red Matter in them. How?" Chris asked Spock.

"It would seem that they do. Perhaps Harrison will be able to tell us why," the Vulcan said as the pair made their way to the brig. Jamie was already there talking to Harrison. She had a PADD in her hand and was reading what looked to be the Section 31 version of her file, Harrison had given her access to the information.

"They have everything... and I do mean everything," she told him. Chris took the PADD, logs of their conversations, holos of her all over the place, times they had sex, information for her friends, things that weren't in her medical records that McCoy didn't even know, it just went on and on. He couldn't -and wouldn't- focus on that right now. Chris handed the PADD back to her and looked up at Harrison.

"How did Marcus get Red Matter?" he asked the man. They'll deal with one problem at a time.

"The ship that contained the Red Matter was not destroyed, another ship was cloaked nearby and transported the majority of the substance aboard," Harrison told them.

"Cloaked? We don't have that technology," Chris said.

"No, but the Romulans do," Jamie sighed. "It makes sense. If the Federation goes to war with the Klingons, teaming up with the Romulans is the best way to come out on top. I'm guessing 31 has agents working with the Romulan Star Empire." This is just great, Nero with this stuff was bad enough but to have Marcus with a bunch of it was not good at all and the possibility of more is even worse. Before Chris could ask any more questions, they were interrupted by Sulu.

"Proximity alert, sir. There's a ship at warp heading right for us," the helmsman warned over the comm system. Everyone looked at each other.

"It's Marcus," Chris told the officers. "How far are we from earth?"

"Not far if we go to warp six, sir. It'll be close," Sulu answered.

"That is not good," Jamie pretty much summed it up.

"Sulu, keep going until I tell you otherwise. Have Uhura contact HQ, she'll know who and make sure she's standing by to record." Sulu gave Chris an 'aye, sir' and closed the channel. Chris looked at the security officer, "Lieutenant Shinobi, move Harrison to sickbay, post six security officers on him. Kirk, go with them. I'm going to try to get us away from Marcus." Chris and Spock ran onto the bridge, "ETA on the incoming ship, Mister Sulu?" Chris asked.

"Three seconds, sir," the pilot told him. Chris took the command chair and ordered that shields be raised, they weren't at warp but they would need be ready, Marcus wasn't going to be nice about this.

"They're hailing us, sir," Uhura notified him.

Chris nodded, "Put him on screen, record and broadcast ship wide." Uhura turned back to her console. 

"Admiral Pike," Marcus said as he came onto the viewscreen. 

Chris looked at him, "Admiral Marcus, I wasn't excepting you. It's a hell of a ship you got there."

"And I wasn't expecting to get word that you'd taken Harrison into custody in violation of your orders." Marcus was keeping a cool exterior.

"Well, our mission perimeters changed and we had to improvise. I guess you knew that," Chris said. Realistically, Marcus had no reason for being out here and they all knew it.

"I don't take your meaning," Marcus said. Chris didn't like playing this game, not with his crew out here. Uhura had notified HQ so hopefully they'd have back up.

"Well, that's why you're here, isn't it?" Chris asked. "Why else would the head of Starfleet Operations personally come to greet a ship on a prisoner transport?"

Sulu whispered from his seat, "Sir, they're scanning our ship." He knew that they were looking for Harrison and maybe even Jamie.

"Is there something I can help you find, sir?" Chris asked.

Marcus glared at him, "Where is your prisoner, Pike?"

"Per Starfleet regulation, I'm planning on returning Commander Harrison to Earth to stand trial," he half answered. Marcus didn't like that answer.

"I took a tactical risk sending that bastard out into the black, believing that his superior intelligence could help us protect ourselves from whatever came at us next. But I made a mistake. And now the blood of everybody he's killed is on my hands. So, I'm asking you, give him to me so that I can end what I started," Marcus said to him. The entire crew was listening.

"And what exactly would you like me to do with the Red Matter, sir? Fire it at the Klingons and start a war in the process?"

"He put that the Red Matter in those torpedoes. And I simply didn't want to burden you with knowing what was inside of them. You saw what that stuff can do," Marcus practically yelled. "Can you imagine what would happen if someone got their hands on it. What else did he tell you? That he's a peace keeper? He's playing you, son. Don't you see that? It is our duty to carry out that sentence before anybody else dies because of him. I'm gonna ask you again! One last time, son. Lower your shields and tell me where he is." Chris took a breath, he didn't like being called son by this man.

"He's in Engineering, sir. But I'll have him moved to the transporter room right away," Chris lied.

Marcus smirked, "I'll take it from here." He ended the transmission.

"Mister Sulu. Do not drop those shields," Chris ordered.

"Aye, sir," Sulu said with a nod. Chris looked around the bridge just as Spock walked over to him.

"Sir, given your awareness that Harrison's true location in the medbay, may I know the details of your plan?" Spock asked.

He nodded, "I using Kirk's playbook on this one. I told Marcus we're taking a fugitive back to Earth. That's what we're gonna do. Mister Sulu, set course for Earth. Warp Six and punch it."

Sulu replied, "Yes, sir."

_Jamie_

"Well, at least we're moving again," Bones said to the officers in his sickbay. Harrison shook his head before he looked at her.

"If you think this ship is safe at warp, you're wrong," the operative told them. Realization dawned on Jamie as she and Carol both made a mad dash for the bridge.

"Chris!" She rarely calls him by first name in front of the crew so it got his attention instantly. "He's gonna catch us and when he does, the only thing is gonna stop him destroying this ship is Carol. We have to let her talk to him."

Chris looked at her, "We're at warp, he can't catch up with us."

"Yes, he can, sir," Carol jumped in. "My father's been developing a ship that has advanced warp capabilities and I..."

Sulu cut her off, "Sir, I'm getting a reading I don't understand." The other ship caught up with the Enterprise and fired on her, knocking them out of warp.

"Sulu where are we?" Chris asked the helmsman.

"We're two hundred and thirty-seven thousand kilometers from Earth, Sir," Sulu replied from the helm.

"Gimme a Damage report!" Chris ordered. Various officers spoke up starting with Chekov.

"Weapons are down. We're defenseless, sir," the Russian said. Jamie looked at the tactical readouts.

"We have a bulk head breach," Jamie told her husband. "Major hull damage. They're preparing to fire." The other ship, what they now know as the Vengeance fired again. Chris called for evasive maneuvers and ordered Uhura to open a channel.

"Sir, it's me. It's Carol," the weapon's specialist said to her father. The ship stopped firing and Marcus came on the viewscreen.

"What are you doing on that ship, Carol?" Marcus asked his daughter. She took a breath and stepped closer to the screen.

"I heard what you said," Carol started. "That you made a mistake and now you're doing everything you can to fix it. But, Dad... I...I don't believe that the man who raised me is capable of destroying a ship full of innocent of people. And...if I'm wrong about that... then you're just gonna have to do it with me on board." He looked at her for a minute before he smirked.

"Actually, I won't," the other admiral said. As soon as the words left his mouth, Carol was beamed off the ship.

"Jamie!" the scientist screamed as she disappeared.

Marcus glared at them, "Admiral Pike, without authorization and in league with the fugitive John Harrison. You went rogue in enemy territory, leaving me no choice but to hunt you down and destroy you."

"Funny you should say that Alex," Archer's voice filled the room. Uhura hit some commands and split the screen between Marcus and Archer. The older admiral was a sight for sore eyes, sitting in the Bradbury's command chair. "Pike is acting on orders, you aren't." Jamie looked at her screens and let sighed.

"I have the Yorktown and the Endeavor flanking the Bradbury. Archer brought backup, sir," she whispered to Chris. Marcus looked at them through the screen.

"What the hell is this?" Marcus growled. "You think this ends with me, that this war isn't coming? Who is going to fight it, to lead it? A bunch of old men? A little orphan girl? You need me. You all need me." His side of the transmission cut off.

"We need to get on that ship, sir and fast," Jamie said.

Archer looked at her, "I'm guessing you have an idea, Kirk."

"Yes, sir, but my CO is not gonna like it."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Take that JJ!


	29. Chapter 29

_Chris_

"I don't like this," Chris said to her.

"I haven't said anything yet," Jamie chuckled. She, Chris and Spock were heading towards the medbay. Spock spoke before Chris could.

"Since we cannot take the ship from the outside, the only way we can take it is from within. As a large boarding party would be easily detected, it is optimum for you take as few members of the crew as possible. You will meet resistance requiring personnel with advanced combat abilities and innate knowledge of that ship. This indicates that you plan to align with Harrison, the very man we were sent here to destroy," her friend said.

"We're pawns, Spock," she said. "Me, Harrison and who knows who else. That man over there tried his damnedest to destroy everything that makes me who I am. I think to all the lives he took trying to turn me into a weapon... into a monster and it almost worked. The people I loved that died because he wanted something from me. I lived through hell because of him and there is no way that he gets to walk away. Harrison is my best option and it's obvious that he's not on Marcus' side, which means we can work together," Jamie said. Chris could understand her feelings, her life should've been so many things, tragic shouldn't have been one of them.

Spock looked at Chris, "Admiral, we cannot allow her to do this. I believe that, at this moment, you are both incapable of making the wisest decisions possible." Before Chris could speak, Jamie turned and looked at her friend.

"You're right!" Jamie yelled. "What I'm about to do, it doesn't make any sense, it's not logical, it is a gut feeling! The same feeling that has kept me alive through everything that's been thrown my way. If my Commanding Officer thinks that I can't be affective, he has no problem letting me know. I have no idea what I'm supposed to do. I only know what I can do. Fight... like I've always fought." Spock and Jamie both looked to Chris.

"We're short on options and Harrison is our only way onto that ship at this point," he told them. She nodded and they continued to medical. He didn't want her to go but there wasn't anything else they could do without options, if that ship gets away, they were all dead. The other three ships had it down for now but once it was repaired, Marcus was going to kill them all and run. They walked into McCoy's domain and Chris walked right up to Harrison.

"Tell me everything you know about that ship," he ordered. The man looked at him, then Jamie.

"Dreadnought Class, two times the size, three times the speed. Advanced weaponry, modified for minimal crew. Quite a bit of Kirk and Scott's ideas made it into that ship but unlike most Federation vessels, it was built solely for combat," Harrison told them Chris glanced at Jamie, who stepped next to him.

"We don't move now, he gets away. We have one shot and the pair of us are the only people on this ship who can stop him, I'm going over there. You coming with me?" she asked.

Harrison nodded, "I am with you, Captain Kirk."

_Jamie_

"Are you sure about this, Jim?" It was the third time Bones had asked her.

"It'll be fun, Bonesy," she quipped.

"How will you know that the hatch will open?" Bones asked her that one a few times too. Jamie rolled her eyes.

"Because, Chekov and Uhura wrote that code," she answered. "Never bet against them, you know better." They had the Bradbury send a message to the Vengeance, when they got close enough, Uhura would send the other part of the hack and open the hatch. Chris pulled her aside for a second before she put her suit on.

"Come back to me, J," it was a cross between an order and a plea. She pressed a soft kiss against her husband's lips.

"Always," Jamie whispered. Chris looked over her shoulder at Harrison.

"You aren't gonna have a lot of time," Chris said. "If she dies over there... I will kill you."

Harrison nodded, "Understood, Admiral." Chris nodded before he left them to return to the bridge.

"Ready, Monty?" Jamie asked. Scotty was not thrilled about this either.

"I don't know about this lass," the Scot told her. "Those hatches are very wee... you know, small. It's four square meters tops. It's gonna be like... jumping outta moving car... off a bridge... into a shot glass."

Jamie laughed, "It's okay, I've done it before."

"I saw the holos of that," Harrison laughed. It was at the academy, she and Gary made a dare, they agreed to never talk about jumping off that bridge again. It's times like this when she really wished he was here, Mitchell would not only understand, he'd be right next to her. Scotty gave them a look and she smiled. "It was with Gary. It was vertical. We jumped onto a... uh... it doesn't matter." Jamie and Harrison took their positions and waited for the bridge to give them the order to go.

Spock spoke, "Jamison, before you launch, you should be aware, there is a considerable debris field between our ships. The other vessels will attempt not to draw any attention in your direction. Admiral Reed will beam over from the Endeavor when you have secured the ship."

"Got it," she said.

_Leonard_

"Tell me this gonna work, sir," he was standing next to Pike.

"I honestly don't know, McCoy," the admiral sighed. They could hear Jamie and Harrison talking to each other over the comm.

"You ready?" Jamie asked.

Harrison replied with, "Are you?" Great, those two are like blood buddies now or some shit. He wasn't jealous... okay, he was. This murderer just swooped in and took his best friend. Now the pair of them were going on a crazy mission and there was nothing he could do about it.

"Alright, fellas, pull the trigger," Jamie told them.

"Launching activation sequence in three...two...one," Spock counted down. The door opened and launched the two officers into space. Leonard watched his friend glide through space on the screens; if it wasn't for the fact that she could get herself killed, he might have thought it was cool.

"Sir, Kirk is headed for collision at point three-two," the officer at Jim's usual station warned. Spock told Jim to correct.

"Copy that, Spock," she answered. Leonard had moved to one of the data walls and was monitoring her vitals.

"Jim, you're way off course, darlin'," he said when he noticed where she was.

"I know, I know! I can see that, Bones," she replied. He really didn't like this. He would tell her how to fix it but he didn't know how.

"Use your display compass, Kirk," Sulu told her, "You must correct precisely thirty-seven point two-four- three degrees."

She replied with, "Got it. I'm working my way back." Everything was fine for a second. "Dammit!"

"What is it, Kirk?" Pike asked her.

"My helmet was hit," she answered. Chris nodded and told her they'd keep an eye on it. How can Pike be so calm? Leonard didn't get it. Looking at the man you would think he just sat down for morning tea, he was so relaxed. Jim was his friend but she was Chris' wife and the Admiral looked like this happened all the time.

"Imminent collision detected," Sulu told them. "Harrison, use evasive action, there is debris directly ahead."

Harrison responded, "I see it." As soon as he moved they lost his signal.

"Did we lose Harrison?" Spock asked.

Sulu answered, "I don't know, Commander. I'm having trouble tracking him in all this debris."

If Leonard didn't know any better, Spock was wishing death on the guy or something. Leonard had an odd relationship with Spock. He found the man to be cold, even for a Vulcan. It wasn't until Vulcan was destroyed and he watched Spock with his family that he understood him a little better. He also understood why Spock and Jamie were friends. She kept Spock human, almost in the same way she kept Leonard sane. Spock was only half Vulcan, so he had to prove to others that he could be logical, attempting to be more like his father then his mother. People are so quick to assume things about Spock and ignore him but Jamie broke through. Leonard and Spock were only alike in that they were scientists but they were polar opposites, Jamie said, " _Spock is logic and you're passion. You two are like fire and ice_."

Jamie's voice pulled him from his thoughts, "Was he hit?"

"We're trying to find him now," Pike told her.

"You need to adjust your target destination to one-eight-three by four-seven-three degrees," Sulu gave her another course correction.

"That's going to be a problem, my HUD cracked, I'm flying blind," Jim told them. Leave it to her to damage her helmet and kill her Heads Up Display.

"Captain Kirk, without your compass, hitting your target destination is mathematically impossible," Spock was just a ray of sunshine.

Jamie chuckled, "Spock, remind me later to talk with you about your bedside manner… or lack of."

"Sir, she's not gonna make it," Sulu told Chris. A second later, Harrison was back on radar.

"My display is still functioning," the idiot outside the ship said. "I see you Kirk, you're two hundred meters ahead at my one o'clock. Cut to your left, a few degrees and follow me." Thank God, Leonard wasn't a fan of this Harrison guy but Jim was next to him and not dead, so for the moment, he'll let his dislike go. Spock started to count them down while one of the other officers gave them their distance. They had already deployed the hack for the hatch.

"…three…two…now."

_Jamie_

That was fun, mostly. Harrison looked at her, "They'll know we're here. I know the best way to the bridge." She nodded, they both pulled off their suits and Jamie handed him a phaser.

"It's locked to stun but theirs won't be so let's not get shot," she said before she followed him. Together, the reluctant partners made their way through the enemy ship. Jamie didn't like that they had to walk but the turbolifts are easily tracked and Marcus would have them trapped in a cage. They were taking a path along the engine room. The Vengeance crew couldn't use their weapons without destabilizing the warp core, which gave Jamie and Harrison the advantage. "What's the crew complement on this thing?" she asked. There was nobody around at all.

"The ship is designed to be controlled by minimal crew, one if necessary," Harrison told her. That would be useful, maybe after all this was over, she and Scotty could take a look. They turned a corner and walked right into a guard. Harrison took the guy out while Jamie dropped the one that came in behind her.

"You alright?" Jamie asked once all the hostiles were down.

He nodded, "You?"

"No damage. Let's move," she said. They found their way to the bridge, Harrison entered first and Jamie was right behind him, both of them shooting. Out of the corner of her eye, Jamie saw Carol take down one of the officers. "Carol, you okay?"

"Yes, Captain," the other woman replied. Harrison and Jamie aimed their weapons at the Starfleet Admiral.

"Admiral Alexander Marcus, under the direct authority of Admirals Jonathon Archer, Richard Barnett, James Komack, Christopher Pike and Malcolm Reed, I am placing you under arrest for treason against the Federation," Jamie told the man.

He glared at her, "You're not actually gonna do this, are you?"

"Admiral, get out of the chair," she said. Marcus just sat there glaring at them.

"You better stop and think about what you're doing, Kirk," Marcus growled. "You had better think about what you did on Qo'noS. You made an incursion onto an enemy planet and killed a Klingon patrol. Even if you got away without a trace, war is coming! And who is gonna lead us? You! If I'm not in charge, our entire way of life is decimated! So you want me off this ship, you better kill me."

"I'm not gonna kill you, sir. But I could stun your ass and drag you out of that chair. I'd rather not do that in front of your daughter. You remember her, right? The little girl who followed you around growing up who wanted to be like her dad. Is this the legacy you want to leave her with? I've spent my entire life living down my father's last actions. The question is: What are you going to leave for Carol to live down, sir?"

"Dad, it's over. Please, just do as she asks." Tears rolled down Carol's cheeks, "Please, dad." All the fight left him and he stood. Jamie went to the console in front of him and hit the commands to talk to the other ships.

"We have the bridge,"she told Chris, Archer and Reed before dropping the shields. A second later, Admiral Reed and security teams from the other ships beamed in.

"Good work, all of you," the admiral said to them.

"Am I under arrest too, sir?" Harrison asked.

Reed nodded, "We have to debrief you then we'll go from there." Harrison handed Jamie his weapon and placed a hand on her arm.

"It was an honor, Captain. Perhaps we'll see each other again," he said.

She smiled, "Maybe we will." Reed stood next to her as the security officer took Harrison. "What's going to happen to him? He was under orders. Living with what he did is gonna be hard enough."

"We'll get the whole story from him, plus all the intel you and your crew collected. His identity wasn't released so maybe he'll get to go back to the fleet," Reed told her. She nodded at the old admiral and comm'ed the Enterprise and closed her eyes, "there's no place like home, there's no place like home, there's no place like…" She felt the familiar swirl of the transporter surround her body. "…home." She opened her eyes and smiled at Chris and Scotty. "Can I file my report later, sir? I'm exhausted." He nodded his head.

"Brass needs it, but Archer says you can turn it in tomorrow. We'll be docking in a few minutes at Starbase One."

_December 2259_

_Jamie_

This isn't what she wanted to be doing the day before her son's birthday but it needed to be done and Chris told her that it was only going to bother her if she didn't go. She had spent many nights since they got back looking out the window or watching Charlie sleep, Chris would drag her back to bed but she didn't sleep. She met Admiral Reed near the entrance to the brig area of the headquarters building.

"How is he?" she asked. Reed glanced at her as they walked down the corridor.

"Physically, he's fine. Mentally, I think it's finally sinking in that he almost killed a ship full of the fleet's best and brightest to start a war," Reed told her. They walked into the room and sat down next to each other. A moment later, Alexander Marcus was brought into the room and sat in the chair across from them.

"To what do I owe the pleasure, Kirk? Or is it Pike? I never got why no one uses your name, I mean it is your name. Then again, people wouldn't take you seriously if you used Pike, the hero's daughter and the Captain's... well, Admiral's wife. Guess it was a good thing that you kept it to yourselves for a while. Well, mostly. Section 31 knew the whole time. Nice tattoo by the way, is the 'CP' for your husband or your son?" If Marcus thinks that anything he just said is gonna get to her, he's wrong. Jamie just looked at this man, more and more about her life unfolded in the reports that Harrison gave her and Reed. It made her sick to think that someone had that kind of control over her.

"Why?" she finally asked him. He looked at her.

"Because there's no way to respect someone who appears to have everything handed to them. Or why am I curious about the two letters on the side of your ribcage? Well I..." She interrupted him.

"No, why did you send Frank to me and my mother back to space? Why kill Sam? Why did Kodos torture me? Why kill Hoshi? Why me, Marcus? Why did you pick me?" she asked.

"We are each our father's child, you more than most. Your father was a genius, a trait that you no doubt inherited from him. I tried once, to get him to join Section 31, he turned me down claiming that his family was more important. It was such a waste, all that brilliance holding itself back to study amongst the stars instead of defending our planet. The war is coming and we needed someone to lead it, someone who thought like your father did, but someone who had also lost too much to care about life. We've been in a Cold War with the Klingons since 2223 fighting over planets and systems. They think themselves better than us and we're merely an annoyance. How many lives were lost fighting with the Klingons in this non-war? I want to end them before they decide to end us. You, you were to lead us, you just needed an incentive to become what we needed. You're a natural leader but you had to be broken, to see the worst in order to become better."

Jamie stopped him, "You had humans do bad things to me so that I'd hate aliens? Your logic is flawed."

He smiled, "It isn't, I wanted you to hate everything, even Starfleet to some extent. I needed you to be vicious, ruthless, heartless. Your intellect mixed with your anger was supposed to lead the war. I didn't count on Pike or your love for him. I tried to kill him, a few times but he just wouldn't die." Jamie already realized that Chris was the unknown in Marcus' plans for her, the one thing that Marcus tried to control but couldn't keep away from her. She thought to all the times he went out in the black and got hurt, and she wondered if Marcus had anything to do with it.

"And the Romulans?" she asked. The look of surprise on his face told her that he didn't think she would figure it out.

"They were useful. We needed something from them and they wanted something from us, a deal was made. You killing Nero showed them just how much damage one human could do with the right reasons. Since we all what to be rid of the Klingons, working together was just a temporary alliance. A way to get earth back to where it used to be. I believe Paxton said it best 'I am returning Earth to its rightful owners. I am giving Earth back to humanity, back to Human beings. It is my life's work, it's what I was born to do, and there is no one – not an alien, not a Human – that will stop me from achieving it.' The Romulans would rather work with us than against us, especially if you're involved." She didn't know how honest that was.

"Paxton was a xenophobic terrorist who also said 'We do not seek war but if the aliens do not leave and force us to fight, I make this solemn promise to all of the sons and daughters of Earth, our future will be secure, because Humanity will prevail.' No one is forcing us to fight, for the most part. You started this. It's a chain reaction, even with me. You can blame my husband but the truth is, I'm the leader you wanted, I'm just not for your cause. You thought that killing everyone around me would drive me to hate, but instead I put such a value on life that I would die so that others don't have to, I would even die for you," she said honestly. "That's what your real problem is, you still see the little girl that was manipulated, but I'm not little and not easily manipulated either. You're scared." The way he looked at her told her everything she needed to know, the man was terrified of what he became and what he did. She didn't need anything else, she looked at Reed, "I'm done, sir." The Admiral nodded as they stood.

"Wait," Marcus called to them, "Carol, she hasn't come to see me."

Jamie nodded, "Do you blame her? She warned you on the Enterprise, she picked her side. I doubt this will mean anything to you, but I forgive you." He looked at her in surprise, "I wouldn't have the two most important people in my life if it wasn't for you. So, for them, I forgive you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Paxton was also played by Peter Weller in Enterprise in the episodes Demons and Terra Prime. He tried to get the aliens to leave earth and made a baby from Trip and T'Pol's DNA.


	30. Chapter 30

_January 2260_

_Leonard_

"You and Carol, huh?" Jim teased. Leonard blushed, he and the weapons expert had spent quite a bit of time together. He glanced across the room at Carol laughing with Joanna, Nyota, Gaila and Christine.

"I like her," he told his friend. "Are you gonna give me grief for it?"

Jim smiled, "I have to figure out which one of you gets the shovel speech, though. What's Joanna think?"

"She likes Carol too, look at 'em," he said. Jim looked back over her shoulder and pouted.

"They didn't invite me to the hang out with the girls, I might cry," she said with mock hurt.

Leonard laughed, "You don't hang out with the girls, not really anyway, so shut your trap." She laughed and rolled her eyes.

"Just don't hurt her, she's been through enough," the crazy woman said.

With Admiral Marcus being arrested there came a lot of questions, the details were kept under wraps but as his daughter, Carol was caught in the middle. Fortunately, the Admiralty had her back so the press left her alone but there were still questions that everyone wanted answered. She told him at one point that she wished Jim had killed her father but after talking to him about losing his dad, she changed her mind.

"Can I ask you a question, Jim?" He continued when she nodded, "How did you know that Marcus' ship had that super-warp stuff?" After all was said and done, Jamie was questioned by the brass and now it was his- and everyone else's- turn.

"Oh, that's easy. Scotty came up with that," she shrugged. The engineer sat down and nodded.

"I've been workin' on a way ta improve what the warp core can do. I told ya about tha nine years ago, lass. I cannae believe you remembered it," Scotty said.

When Leonard first met the crazy Scotsman, he was in the academy and came across Scotty and Jim at a café near campus. They were talking about the Enterprise and Scotty was stuffing his face and forcing Jamie to eat, " _Come on, lass. The wee one needs ya ta eat_." He looked at Scotty and Jim, sometimes he forgets that they aren't actually related, they've just known each since before she went to the academy. If he thought about it, they really were a family, even him. He looked around the room and saw Pike and his dad with little Charlie. Cody, Zane, Chekov and Kevin were together, goofing off. Spock's mom and Pike's mom were in the kitchen trading stories and making cookies. Spock, Sulu, Kelso and Sarek were talking about something. Leonard, Jim and Scotty were sitting together watching the girls giggling about whatever girls giggle about.

"So, Kevin and Chekov?" Scotty asked. The two young men were her little brothers and when they had started going out Jim warned them both not to hurt each other or they had to deal with her.

"Don't remind me," Jim groaned.

_Chris_

"This is everything, sir."

Chris had been in Admiral Archer's office with Barnett, Komack, Reed and Johnson for hours. They went over everything that the crew found, that Harrison gave them and that Marcus told them himself. They allowed Jamie, Spock, Scotty, Chekov and Riley to go through the ship with the engineers and the group of geniuses found a lot of interesting things. Stuff that some of the fleet's brightest had come up with made in onto the ship, including stuff designed by Jamie, Scotty and Spock. They also found that there was another ship and it had a cloaking device; the ship Harrison told them about. Chris was getting ready to leave when Archer looked at him.

"Chris, I have an interesting proposal for you."

_Jamie_

"I heard you wanted to see me," she said as she stepped into the room and sat down.

"Indeed. I wanted to wish you a late happy birthday," he nodded.

She smiled, "Thanks, Harrison. Have they told you where you'll be going?"

"It's difficult to find a commanding officer who would take me with my genetic enhancements," he told her. Altered genes generally weren't allowed in the fleet but because he got his on orders from Marcus, the brass was letting it go. The hard part was that it had to be disclosed to his new commanding officer and many captains turned him down.

"I know what your orders are. And your CO doesn't mind the enhancements. Some of the crew might be leery of you though," Jamie told him.

He looked at her, "Admiral Pike?" 

"Nope, You'll see," she said with a wink.

Jamie couldn't actually tell him where he was going until her own orders came in. The next day, they did.

… _Per Starfleet Regulation 28455, you are to report to Admiral Christopher Pike, Commanding Officer of the USS Enterprise, for duty as his relief_...

When Chris got out of his meeting with the brass, he came home, sat her down and asked what she would think about him stepping down as commanding officer. At first she was upset that they would take the ship from him. Chris just laughed and explained that the brass had offered him a new job as a Diplomatic Officer, he would be on the ship, but not in the chain of command unless absolutely necessary. " _I'm done making the decisions, J. You should've been the CO already. Besides, you look better in the chair then I do_."

Jamie knew that the whole thing had gotten to him, learning that one of your senior officers was manipulating your wife's life and tried to kill you had that affect. She was surprised that they decided to just advance her up to CO, apparently, she was Archer's first choice. The ship was going to be out in uncharted space and there would be many diplomatic situations. The brass preferred to have someone on the ship whose job was diplomacy. Officially, Chris was assigned to HQ but stationed on the ship. It would also give her the advantage of not having to deal with diplomats and politicians unless she wanted to.

It wasn't even a minute after her orders came in that her PADD lit up with messages from almost everyone. She ignored them for the moment and continued to Spock's door, Uhura answered.

"Hey Kirk," the communications officer said as she let Jamie into the apartment.  "Should I go?"

"Nope," Jamie said with a shake of her head. "Nothing you won't find out about."

"How can I help you, Jamison?" Spock asked. Jamie sat down in the chair that her friend pulled out for her and looked at him.

"I'm guessing you heard that I got command of the ship. I want you to be my first officer."

_April 2260_

_Chris_

'And once more with feeling,' as the saying goes. After a re-fit and a change of command, the Enterprise was ready to go again. Chris was sitting with the Enterprise's crew instead of on the stage where they forced Jamie to sit. She didn't look as uncomfortable as he knew she felt, she looked beautiful. Admiral Barnett introduced her and she walked to the podium.

"There will always be those who mean to do us harm. To stop them, we risk awakening the same evil within ourselves. Our first instinct is to seek revenge when those we love are taken from us. But that's not who we are. We are here today to rechristen the USS Enterprise, and to honor those who are no longer with us. When I think to our mission, I think back to something Admiral Archer said before the Federation Charter was signed, 'We are all explorers, driven to know what's over the horizon, what's beyond our own shores. And yet... the more I've experienced, the more I've learned... that no matter how far we travel, or how fast we get there... the most profound discoveries are not necessarily beyond that next star. They're within us, woven into the threads that bind us, all of us, to each other.' When Admiral Pike talked to me about taking over as the commanding officer of the Enterprise, he sat me down and had me recite the Captain's oath. He told me that no matter what happens, I had to remember those words and what they meant. Those words… 'Space, the final frontier. These are the voyages of Starship Enterprise. Her five year mission, to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilization. To boldly go where no one has gone before.' It is a call for every member of the Federation to remember who we once were and who we must become again. That no matter where we go, we must always remember to be the very best that we can be, for ourselves and for each other."

She locked eyes with him and he smiled, he doesn't know what she was so nervous about that speech, he couldn't have done it better if he tried.

_Jamie_

Almost everyone was staying on the Enterprise, Kelso was offered the position of first officer on the Yorktown, he almost turned it down but Jamie told him that she'd kick his ass if he did. The rest of the senior staff stayed the same people with a little reorganization, Scotty took second officer, Sulu took third, Chekov was assistant chief engineer and Carol was the assistant chief science officer. Right now, almost everyone was on the bridge including her son and god-daughter.

"Having fun in my chair, you two?" Jamie asked the children. Joanna was sitting in the command chair with Charlie in her lap as the crew prepped for departure. She looked at Charlie, "You know when your sister gets here, you all won't fit." There was something in the water on the Enterprise and they were gonna to have a few more little ones on the ship in the coming months, Scotty and Christine were due in July while Jamie and Chris were due with number two in August. Spock and Uhura, as well as Gaila and Sulu were getting married, Scotty tried but Christine said no for now. Jamie was sure that the first year out was going to be interesting.

"You get to sit in this chair all the time Aunt Jamie, that's really cool," Joanna said. Charlie agreed with her.

"Yep, mama, it's really cool," her son declared. She and Chris had decided to let him go to school, he was four but worked at the eight year old level, Joanna was eleven at the thirteen year old level. When they weren't in school, they were with Spock or Scotty, " _those wee ones are gonna take over the ship one day, lass. Just wait, tha might even have ta rescue us._ " Jamie laughed, but the more she thought about it, the more she realized that they were almost the same ages as her and Kevin on Tarsus, it was possible.

"Permission to enter the bridge, Captain?" Chris asked from the door.

"Permission granted, Admiral," she said with a smile. "Did you come for the little people?" He nodded and scooped Charlie up.

"Come on guys, the Captain and crew have work to do," Chris told them. Both kids pouted but went willingly, Charlie kissed her cheek.

"Bye Captain Mama!" he said with a mini version of Chris' smile on his little face. Everyone laughed.

"Later, Captain Aunt Jamie. Bye daddy," Jo said. Jamie smiled as her family left the bridge. She hit the controls on her chair.

"Monty, how's our core?" she asked.

The Scot chuckled, "Purring like a kitten, Captain. She's ready for a long journey."

She smiled, "That's excellent." She closed the channel and looked at her best friend, "Come on, Bones, don't be grumpy. It's gonna be fun."

"You always say that, and I always end up patching you up," he grumbled as he shook his head. "Five years in space. God help me."

"Carol, tell your boyfriend to relax. He's with his family, what could be more awesome then that?" Jamie said.

Carol smiled, "She's right, Leonard, it's nice to be with family." Jamie caught the double meaning, even if no one else did. Jamie walked over to the tactical station.

"Settling in, Commander?" she asked. The officer occupying her old position smiled.

"I am indeed, Captain. You could have told me that you were my new CO," Harrison told her.

"Where's the fun in that, John?" she smiled and walked over to her first officer. "Spock."

"Captain." He didn't smile, but if he did, he would have.

"Where should we go?" she asked him with wonder in her voice. 

"As a mission of this duration has never been attempted, I defer to your good judgment, Captain," he said. Spock turned at walked to his station, Jamie took her seat.

"Hikaru, take us out," Jamie ordered.

He nodded, "Aye, Captain."

_Chris_

"So how is it, not being on the bridge?" He looked up at his wife and smiled at her.

"It's nice, I got a chance to do paperwork and nobody needed me but Charlie. I met your yeoman, she's nice. I had lunch without interruption, I could get used to this. How are my favorite girls?" he said.

She smiled, "Excited. Tired. Excited and tired." He chuckled as she laid down on the couch and rested her head on his leg, "Tell me why I decided to spend the first four months of this tour pregnant."

It wasn't planned but the timing could've been a lot worse since they were going to be in charted space for a while. McCoy brought her home from lunch a few days after she was named the Enterprise's CO. She looked more tired than usual so the doctor decided to look her over, a quick scan with the tricorder showed him that she was expecting, they only just found out that it was a little girl, she wanted to know. Since Jamie picked Charlie's name, Chris got to pick this time… it was easier said than done. Chris took the pins out of her hair and ran his fingers through it.

"You know that there was no way you would turn this down, pregnant or not. At least you aren't alone, Christine is a month ahead of you," he reminded her. Chapel and Scott was not something he expected, but he was happy for them. "When are the weddings?"

"Spock and Uhura's will be in a few days, as soon as we get to New Vulcan. I don't have to marry them, one of the Vulcan Elders will do it. I get to be there as a member of Spock's family, so do you. Sulu and Gaila want to do theirs after we leave charted space," she said.

_1 Week Later_

_Jamie_

"Congratulations, S'chn T'gai Nyota," Jamie said. The communications officer smiled and hugged Jamie as she stepped into the turbolift.

"Thank you. It's weird, you say it better than Lady Amanda does," Nyota told her. It was sad but true, Lady Amanda can say the family name but it took her years of practice. Because Jamie learned Vulcan when she was a kid, her pronunciation was slightly better but Nyota was better than both of them.

Jamie and Chris were there when Spock and Uhura married in a Vulcan ceremony, there were a few Vulcans who weren't happy that Spock was marrying a human but none of them had the guts to say as much near Sarek. Jamie did a good job at holding her tongue at some of the things she heard. The smirk that Lady Amanda sent her way told Jamie that this wasn't anything new, they just had to get over it. The crew was now reporting back to ship, she gave everyone a few days of shore leave in order to let Spock and Nyota have a honeymoon but it was time to go.

"You ready to begin our adventure, again?" Jamie asked. Technically, this was the second start of their five year mission, since the Gorn and Marcus tossed a wrench into that.

Nyota laughed, "Ready to go, Ma'am." The duo stepped onto the bridge and were greeted by Sulu.

"Captain on the bridge," the helmsman said.

Jamie smiled, "Hello all. Status?"

_July 2260_

_Jamie_

"What the…?" Jamie mumbled into Chris' chest. It was in the middle of the night, not that there was a night in space but it was the ship's night cycle. Jamie was going to kill the person ringing the buzzer for her door. Chris got out of bed to answer it. He came back a few minutes later. "What's wrong?" she asked her husband.

"It's Uhura, Chapel is in labor and she's asking for you," he told her. Jamie rubbed her eyes and nodded. She pulled on a pair of leggings and looked at Chris.

"Gimme your shirt," she told him. He smiled and pulled the t-shirt over his head.

"Stealing my clothes again, J?" Chris asked as Jamie pulled the shirt on over her sports bra.

"What's yours is mine and it smells like you. Besides, I can't fit most of my civvies and I'm not wearing my uniform," she told him. The maternity version of her uniform wasn't bad, it was really the unisex uniform but modified for a pregnant woman. She refused to wear the duty dress when she could barely see her feet. Jamie was considering wearing the pants version of her uniform more often, at least on away missions. Chris chuckled, he kissed her baby bump and then her lips.

"Go help Christine," her husband said with another kiss before releasing the gentle hold he had on her.

Jamie and Nyota walked into the medbay, the nurse on duty pointed them towards one of the private rooms. They were heading that way when Scotty came out of the room and pulled them both into a hug.

"She said yes, she said yes and she wants you marry us right now," Scotty rambled. Jamie wasn't as shocked as she should've been, he looked at her. "You saw this coming, lass?" Jamie and Nyota both nodded.

"Yep," she told him. Christine made up her mind a while ago but she didn't want to get married just because of the baby. The nurse was worried that that's what everyone would think. Of course, Jamie, Uhura and Carol told her that she was being crazy and think about it some more because Scotty loves the hell out of her. Jamie asked Uhura to grab a PADD from one of the nurses and they followed Scotty into the room.

"How she doing, Bonesy?" she asked her brother from another mother. The doctor looked at her and smiled.

"she's progressing fast but she wants to get married before the baby shows up. Told her to say yes months ago but she didn't listen to me," Bones said. Luckily, he missed the glare that Christine sent his way.

"Bones, she's gonna kick you if you don't shut up. How are you doing, Christine?" Jamie asked. Christine was holding Scotty's hand and looked up at Jamie.

"I feel like I'm being pulled apart, how the hell did you do this?" the usually calm nurse asked. Jamie smiled and sat next to Christine across from Scotty.

"I wish I could say that it was because had Chris and his step-mom and Bones but the truth is, I just wanted to meet Charlie. Everything was worth it when Bones put the little guy in my arms. He looked up at me with my eyes and looking like his dad and the rest of the world just faded away. You got this," Jamie told the other woman. Christine smiled as Jamie hit some commands into the PADD, "Do you want Nyota and Leonard to stay?" Scotty and Christine both nodded.

"They're the best man and matron of honor," Monty told her. 

"Official stuff first, sign this." She handed over the PADD which had their marriage forms in it, Scotty looked at her and realized that not only did she expect it, she made sure the forms were filled out for HQ. Bones and Uhura signed as witnesses, Jamie signed last and looked at them, "I'm going to keep this short and sweet since your little one is on the way. Do you, Christine take Montgomery Scott to be your partner for life. To walk by his side forever, to love, help, and encourage him in all he does? Will you share his laughter and his tears, as his partner, lover, and best friend? Do you take him as your lawfully wedded husband for now and forevermore?"

Christine smiled, "I do."

"Do you, Montgomery take Christine Chapel to be your partner for life. To walk by her side forever, to love, help, and encourage her in all she does? Will you share her laughter, and her tears, as her partner, lover and best friend? Do you take her as your lawfully wedded wife for now and forevermore?" Jamie asked. She had never seen the look on his face before, he smiled at Christine.

"I do,"  Monty said.

Jamie smiled, "By the power invested in me as commanding officer of this vessel, I now pronounce you married. Kiss your wife, Monty." The two kissed,  then Jamie and Nyota hugged them both. "Okay, baby time. Comm me when the little one gets here, Bones." He nodded, a contraction hit Christine, Bones kicked her and Nyota out of the room.

It was a few minutes before the start of Alpha shift when Bones sent her the message that the baby was here, she almost cried when she saw his name. "Uhura, open a channel to the whole ship."

Nyota smiled and hit the commands, "Ready, ma'am."

Jamie took a deep breath, "Attention, crew of the Enterprise, I was just notified that we have a new crew member. Our head nurse, Lieutenant Chapel and our Chief Engineer, Lieutenant Commander Scott welcomed their son into the universe about an hour ago. According to Doctor McCoy, little James Christopher Scott is happy and healthy. Let us all wish the newlyweds and new parents our congratulations. Kirk out."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I could've ended the story where the movie did, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. I know I cheated with Pike's job but I had to give them something good and my Archer likes them, so yay!  
> I wanted baby Scott to have his dad's middle name, well turns out that it's Christopher. Named him James after Kirk but also after the amazing James Montgomery Doohan, who is not only the original Scotty but he came up with a lot of who the character is, notice that Scotty is named after him. I might have to do a Scotty story one of these days.


	31. Chapter 31

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well this is it. I wasn't sure how to end it, I wrote this chapter five times with four points of view before I decided on just using Jamie and Chris. I've never done a story this long and it was fun. I left time gaps so maybe I'll write one-shots to fill those in, eventually. Thanks to everyone who read the craziness in my head, it really means a lot.

_April 2265_

_Chris_

Chris was sitting on the porch at the family house in Mojave, telling stories to his dad, Hobelia, Cody and Zane. He smiled as he watched his wife and their children play near the lake. Five years had come and gone so fast and by all accounts the mission was a success. He chuckled to himself thinking about some of the last assignments they went on.

A few months ago, he was ordered to induct a new planet to the Federation. He took McCoy, Uhura, Kevin and a few security officers on what was supposed to be a diplomatic mission and they promptly found themselves being held captive. It was funny when he considered the fact that most of the Federation knew by now not to mess with the Enterprise crew. Over the last five years they fought impossible battles, brokered treaties, stopped wars from starting, saved all kinds of planets from all kinds of issues, explored stars they've never seen before, examined new things and left their mark on the universe. Now when people say the name 'Captain Jamison T. Kirk' it was either in pure excitement or in absolute fear. Jamie was a hero in her own right who showed everyone that being her father's daughter was only the beginning of what makes her who she is.

During those few hours in captivity, they weren't even worried. " _Anyone want to take bets on how long it'll take before she springs us?_ " McCoy asked at some point. They had all tossed times around the room, Kevin was the closest with ten minutes; Jamie and company showed up in seven. One minute the guards were there and the next they were dropping like flies. The group looked up to find Harrison, Hendorff and Sulu taking them out while Jamie hacked the system and unlocked the cells they were being held in. " _Looks like you really can't go anywhere without me, sir_." He smiled at her, " _Maybe I just like watching you work, Captain_." That earned a laugh as they made their way through the compound.

The last five years brought a smile to his face, the beginning marked by the birth of their daughter. Chris had figured out what to name her just two days before she was born. Like Jamie did with Charlie, he didn't tell and she didn't ask. Their son and Joanna wanted to know but he still kept it to himself. August twentieth, 2260 was the big day; Jamie was on the bridge when she went into labor. She wasn't working, she just got bored so she decided to see what Spock and the senior staff were up to. They had to ban her from engineering at around six months because she couldn't stop herself from trying to help out, she scared the crap out of Scotty a few times. Chris knew that Jamie never did like sitting on her hands.

Getting called to the Medbay by McCoy wasn't that unexpected, seeing Harrison holding Jamie's hand, whispering to her that she was doing good and coaching her breathing _was_ odd. It just wasn't as odd as Chris thought it would be. The former Section 31 officer fit in with the rest of this motley crew after they got used to him. Jamie spent a lot of time talking with him and pulling him into the no-so-little family that she created, turned out that Harrison had looked out for her when he got the chance and had kept a good deal of information about them from Marcus. Chris will admit he was a little leery about the guy at first but Jamie trusted him, so Chris eventually got over it, especially after watching Harrison keep Samantha calm. If Charlie liked hanging out with Spock, Sammie loved being around Harrison, he would talk to her with that accent and it would either make her smile or put her right to sleep.

After the baby and another -Gaila and Sulu's- wedding, they got to work seeing the galaxy. Jamie put an end to Kaaj three days after she went back on duty; a month after baby Sammie was born. Kaaj took his blood debt to new heights, too bad that no one told him that Jamie was more dangerous than Chris; where he was calm and cool, Jamie was controlled chaos. The crazy Klingon attacked the ship but he wasn't expecting the blonde woman in the command chair, " _Go get your father, child_." He also wasn't expecting her to laugh in his face and stand her ground, " _Oh, come on, Kaaj. This is getting ridiculous, you show up, issue some threats that you never make good on and leave as soon as you start losing. That's why you aren't allowed back to the Empire, you're so weak that my children have outgrown you. Hell, you tried to kill me once and you failed. I would let it go but since you keep trying to kill my husband, I'll play along. If you leave now, I won't kill you today. Stay and you_ _ **will**_ _die."_ Kaaj really should've listened to her, the Klingon attacked first and the Enterprise destroyed his ship. Since he had dishonored the Empire in his failure –which is why he hated Chris in the first place- the Klingons didn't say anything about Jamie killing him. They did have a fit about Jamie's trip to their home world but after the crew saved a Klingon colony from the Romulans, the chancellor decided not to kill her. Of course, many things took place but that was undoubtedly among his favorites.

_Jamie_

The last days on the ship were hilarious. Everyone was so excited about going home, everyone except the children, apparently they wanted to stay in space. Jamie could understand where they were coming from, kids like Sammie and Jimmy were born on the ship, it was all they knew. There were plenty more children on the ship than they started with, they left with a dozen and were coming home with twenty-five under the age of sixteen. Two days away from Starbase One, Jamie found herself standing in her quarters with the mini versions of the senior staff. " _Charles George Pike, Samantha Hoshi Willa Pike, James Christopher Scott and Joanna Eleanora McCoy!_ " The four of them either looked around the room or at her with fake innocence, " _Want to tell me why the replicators are only making cupcakes_?"

She knew it was them, Sammie and Jimmy were only four but the pink and green icing was a dead giveaway that they were involved. Jo just turned sixteen a week ago and had finished with school early, she took college level courses while working in the medbay with her dad and Chapel. Bones was proud as hell that she's studying to be a nurse. Joanna was still the big sister of their little crew, none of the kids did anything that Jo didn't know about, just like her dad. Charlie was the one who reprogrammed the replicators, Jamie was sure of it. Between learning computer programming from Spock and engineering from Scotty, he knew exactly what to do; she couldn't believe that he was almost nine. All the kids in the room started talking at the same time; Jamie, Chris, Carol, Bones, Scotty and Chapel just watched them dig themselves into a hole. What they didn't know it that they weren't really in any trouble, nobody got hurt and what they did was ingenious.

" _First, you're going to fix it. Then, you're going to figure out how we knew it was you. Get to work,_ " she had told them. The giveaway wasn't the cupcakes or even the icing, it was the coding. Every hacker has a code that's special to him or her, Charlie and Joanna weren't any different, they didn't bother to disguise the fact that they had been in the system. As soon as the kids went into Charlie's room the adults all burst into laughter, " _remember when they were all just little and cute_?" Chapel asked. Jamie smiled at the memories of their babies. She thought back to when Sammie was born, Jamie wasn't sure what Chris would pick for their daughter's name, she'll admit that what he came up with wasn't it. He named their little girl after three of the best people they knew; Hoshi, her brother Sam and Chris' mother. " _I like it_." Jamie had stayed on duty until a week before she gave birth when everyone –seemed like everyone- teamed up and told her to go rest. Spock was the acting Captain and Sulu was acting first officer since Scotty was still getting used to being a new dad.

The thing that got Jamie over the last five years was Charlie and Sammie. Jamie swore it was like watching her with her brother. After her daughter was born, Bones brought Charlie and Joanna to see her, " _I have two visitors who demanded to see you_." Chris had looked at their son and asked if he wanted to hold his sister, the look on Charlie's face was priceless as he sat on his mother's lap and Chris placed the baby in his arms with Jamie's arms around both of them. Joanna had hopped up next to them on the bed, " _Thank God she looks like Aunt Jamie_ ," the girl said, earning a laugh from Chris and Bones. Jamie remembered watching Charlie with his sister over the last few years. Once, she went into the baby's room and found Charlie sitting next to the crib, " _I'm your brother. Mama says that means that I'm gonna take care of you. But mama takes care of her brothers so I guess that means we'll take care of each other_." Charlie was true to his word, he had his sister's back and she was learning how to have his. She couldn't wait to see what would happen when they got older or when Gaila and Sulu's twins, and Spock and Uhura's son were all old enough to join in the mischief.

Gaila and Sulu got married at the end of 2260 but the babies didn't come until 2263; Navna and Demora Sulu looked like their father, except they were girls, cuter then him and green. Baby Silok -from the great sky- was the newest addition to the crew at six months old, he was only a quarter Vulcan but still took after his father with the ears; Jamie and Scotty won that bet against Bones, Chekov and Sulu. The kid was cute

and he had his dad wrapped around his finger.

Bones and Carol were still together, Jamie and Joanna told him to just marry the woman already, but they were going to take it slow. No wedding plans or kids in their immediate future, Joanna made him swear that she wasn't going to be a mother before he had another child; that led to a fun day of playing referee between her best friend and his daughter. Bones, Spock and Jamie stuck pretty close to each other, especially when they weren't on the ship. The 'trio' as some of the crew called them was a force to be reckoned with. Jamie alone was dangerous, the three of them together was downright scary. The courageous captain who would do anything for her crew, the passionate doctor who worked miracles and the logical Vulcan who out-thought most of the people around him. There wasn't much that the three of them didn't –couldn't- do.

Bones did dish her a blow after Sammie was born, " _You can't have any more children, Jim. Your body can't take it_." To be honest Jamie was shocked that she had two in the first place. There had been so much damage done to her since before she hit puberty and the partial hysterectomy at ten made each pregnancy a miracle. Chris just smiled when she told him, and in classic Chris fashion told her that all he wanted was her, their children were icing on the cake.

She glanced at him as he made his way from the porch to join them by the water, the kids abandoned her for their father. Looking out at the water, Jamie chuckled as he picked them both up, "You know, I could get used to this."

"You'd be bored outta your mind in a month. So would I," he said with a chuckle.

She shrugged, "Life with the three of you is never boring." Chris shook his head as a car pulled up to the house. Big Charlie walked down towards the water with Barnett. The Admiral looked at they pair and after an introduction to the children, he got right down to business.

"I got a proposition for you two," Barnett said. Chris looked at his friend after he explained.

"What makes you think we'll do it?" Chris asked. Barnett shrugged and looked at Jamie.

Jamie smiled, "To 'boldly go' is what I was made to do."


End file.
